Living Stone
by Resting-Madness
Summary: Konoha's splendid beast has been able to conquer many challenges thrown his way, but he hasn't yet come to terms with his deepest desire. And it may be the thing that defeats him.
1. The Calm After

Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the realm of Naruto, not their image, character, lifestyle, world. And I don't make money from this work of fiction, Im just a fan of the show and manga.

Commentary: This is a first for me, doing a to-the-show story, I usually do AUs and keep ones like this in my head. So I'm nervous, but I hope you all find something about it that you like and continue reading from here. Thank yous!

Also, I should tell you that I'm trying something different with this. I usually update like the week after posting, but I'm not well- frequent hospital trip unwell- and I need to rest, plus some things are better when you sit on them, right?

...

Naruto stretched his arms up into the air, as he woke for another sunny day; the village is still under heavy repairs after the Great Ninja War ended. He, and the others have been helping out repairing shops, and building homes and its leaving even his energy depleted.

"Rrrraaa!" He shouts when popping up behind the messenger hawk, that's just landed on his terrace.

...Well, maybe he's not _that_ exhausted.

"Ahahaha!" He belly laughs at the spooked creature, climbing back onto his terrace just as the clone inside disappeared. He loves this gag.

With a low, almost offended-toned, _kaw_ in its throat the large primal mail-carrier began pecking violently at the ninjas's head! Naruto swung his arms over his head, dancing from foot to foot to scare the bird away, but that only seemed to fuel the beast's assault. And it drilled the teen's head like a woodpecker, until he sank down onto the wooden deck in defeat.

Snatching the note from the bird's ankle brace, he crawled weakly over to the sliding door. With a dramatically shaking hand, he slides the door open then crawls inside. That's the last time he picks on a messenger hawk from...

"Hey, Gaara wrote me! Alright!" Pawing the envelope open in a flurried hurry, Naruto walks over to his refrigerator to grab a small carton of white milk.

He's been helping from day to night, and back again, with a few breaks to eat. He's gotta rebuild his beloved Konoha with all his heart and energy; because a big job, needs even bigger effort.

Lee and Gaara went off to the chosen location for a village summit meeting. The Kazekage and the other Kages are in the midst of signing this and officializing that.

When Gaara talks about such things sometimes it makes Naruto's head wanna spin. But he always asks, because as a future Kage, he's gonna have to get used to hearing and speaking all of that important language.

Rock Lee went with Gaara as a sort of envoy slash bodyguard, though, none is needed; but then again, all these secret things went on right underneath everyone's noses to have this big mess happen, so really... you just never know.

He isn't surprised to see another letter flutter to the floor, once the letter came to its full extention. Lee often folded a letter of his own into the mix; honestly, he looked forward to Lee's more than Gaara's! Gejimayou really knows how to spin a tale, almost as good as his sensei. It often amazed the young Sage how incredibly different the same contents can come out when its from two people going through the same thing.

Lee could easily sum it up in a few clear sentences like Gaara does, but thank Kage he doesn't. Infact, his letters read pretty much the same, as this current one. For example:

_There will be a United Nations base set up between Konohagakure and Tsuchigakure , so it exists in Kusagakure._

_The meeting was very long and arduous, but Lee and I endured it, and have since gone home to Suna._

_He's his usual energetic-self. Kankurou's constantly betting him that he can't "cool it" for a week with training. Lee lost the bet by challenging himself that he could do it, and that if he couldn't he'd hand-stand walk the village while balancing a jug of sand on his feet. He dozed off somewhere near the end, at which point I brought him home to sleep._

_We've been living simply for the time being. Lee will be home when I no longer need him._

_Your friend, Gaara._

Naruto bobbed his head while warding off knodding-off. Gaara really should take lessons in writing entertaining letters from Lee. He did though feel a bit of redness in his cheeks over that one sorted sentence about Lee coming home, once Gaara is done with him. Not work. But Gaara.

The two of them have been seeing each other so exclusively that no one knew they were together period, until one day it came up that Lee and Gaara were engaged. Talk about a slap in the face! It was announced by Lee during one of their "Yay, another successful mission" get-togethers. After that, they never spoke of it, and probably won't speak of it until the designated day arrives when it will happen.

Naruto's looking forward to that particular note from the big browed Chunin. Lee has a flare that makes the situation come to life. Observe, how he can see Sunagakure pop-up before his very eyes, and he can watch the couple moving about like its a movie, or is watching the pair with his own eyes.

_Narutoooo! The meeting of the great nations was amazing! So many figure-heads coming together to make one important decision after another, until we're all going to be one great nation of unity!_

_Once Gaara and I returned from the meeting, he brought me into his home for dinner- it was very late- and we had mouth watering desert delicasies. Fatayir bi sabanekh, kabsa and more! I stuffed myself greatly; and with the energy I obsorbed exploded into training! There were times when Kankurou-san found himself joining in on observing- as the rest of Suna's inhabitants do- and it resulted in a manly challenge of witts and willpower. Can you believe he bet me to enjoy myself for a week?_

_But he didn't know that I was already enjoying myself, and I met the challenge head-on, but only after assuring myself that if I could not meet his challenge of a weeks fun that I would walk the village on my hands, with a jug of sand balanced on my feet. Brilliance! ...But somehow he considered my words a loss, and I had to walk the village as planned._

_Gaara walked with me, looking over paperwork as he followed. You may not know this, but he looks very handsome in the moonlight; I faltered a few times when he glanced at me to ask that I pause for a moment so I wouldn't hurt myself. Ha! I'm full of youth and ambition I said, such a thing cannot happen to me... Oddly enough, I fell asleep while completeing my challenge because when I awoke from my light snooze... I was in bed._

Naruto chuckled at that, and continued the letter when the tears in his eyes fell away from his vision.

_Things have been quiet, and very comfortable for the time being; Gaara and I have been spending a great deal of time together. Why just today he and I are going to Tea for a light snack..._

Lee hurls a kunai into the air, and quickly breaks into a spring of back-flips until it lands. "Damn it... only fourty." Retrieving the kunai, he then hurls it back into the air and, once again, launches himself into a drill of back-flips.

Gaara didn't know whether or not to smile at the enthusiasm during their comfortable walk to Tea, or grimace over the fact that Lee won't settle down and simply walk beside him... Maybe even hold his hand.

Since the two of them have gotten together, Gaara's felt more... at peace with a lot of things in his life. He'd started his change because of Naruto, and he kept it going with the cooperation of his village. The people, they were all there for him... little by little before his abduction, then completely after his rebirth. That's exactly how he's been living his every day after that.

He's no longer interested in being that loveless monster-in-the-sand. He's experienced more new things emotionally and physically than he ever could in his old existance. He's got friendship, he's got love, and he's got knowledge and skills to give and receive the love without question. His mother... She loved him. His undead father confessed this as a truth Gaara never knew or could have known, and he keeps it dearly with him.

And now his romantic love found in Rock Lee is being brushed aside... for training. Nothing new really, he wants nothing more from the male beyond the knowledge that they're together. But today, he'd like a simple common walk with the energetic green beast.

"Lee."

"80! Yes! And now to try for a hundr-..." Looking over his shoulder to where Gaara is a good sprint behind him, he turns and smiles at the approaching male. "I heard a little voice in my head," He falls into step with the passing red head. "was that _you_?" Grabbing his hand, he smooches Gaara's forhead, right on the bubbled 'Love' scar that resides there.

Gaara says nothing to this, just continues walking along; happier with a hand in his own, and he looks up into the sky.

Looking over at the male, Lee couldn't help but grin at him. He can remember a time when Gaara wasn't trusting enough of his connections with people to just let his guard down, and daydream at the sky. It made sense to Lee, even if it frustrated him some of the time. But people are emotional beings, they hold grudges; he grew up having doors slammed in his face and weapons or rocks thrown. One mistrust of a person's character could have Kage's throat slit in a heartbeat.

Gaara imagined that Lee held the biggest grudge of all, and he could have. Not only can he not do ninjitsu techniques like the others, he would have lost his only merit of taijutsu as well. While he went into recovery from that, all he could think about was how could someone be that cruel? And that the red head must have suffered terrible hardships to have gotten to be that monster. Which is why when he found Gaara out in that field battling Kimimaro, he knew it was his chance! Not only to help his friends who were trying to save Sasuke, but to show Gaara that he hadn't broken him.

Monsters need to know that in order to get better of their bad habits. If you don't stoke their violent fire with your misery, they'll see its time for a change. And thanks to everyone, that change is very well made.

Friendship is one thing, but romantically... Boy, that took some getting used to for the red head _and_ for Lee. He's never had a girlfriend, and having thoughts like "what if he and Neji weren't just having a simple lunch" doesn't exactly count as having a boyfriend. And Gaara's never had anything. But learning has been an awkward, and fun ride that he'd gladly repeat if need be because the end result of unending affection- returned- was worth every added mental scar- that includes the direct proposal of "I think its time you've thought about staying here perminantly." from Gaara.

But, inspite of this pleasent walk, Lee would really like to do a little more personal training. Gotta stay sharp, one step ahead of everyone, including his beloved. Side-eyeing him again, he sees Gaara looking back with an unreadable expression.

"Are you enjoying the walk?" He asks, looking away.

"Very much! Nothing I love more than the discipline of keeping the pace with travelling companions. Its a good way to hone terrain observance."

"I suppose it is."

Gaara seemed to be putting some truth behind the comment, looking down at the grass he isn't currently crushing beneath his path. He spies a spiders web stretched out across a weed and a few blades of grass. He's never known spiders to make webs low to the ground. He remembers Shino saying something to him once about spiders, and how their webbing is only sticky horizantally, but vertically its smooth silt so they can cross it to their trapped prey and not get stuck themselves. Shino, to Gaara, is like that. He approaches you, and says strange things. He's really got everyone in an organized box, with organized words about them to just gather and know.

"What kind of tea are you getting? I might want something to cool me off from the warmth in the air." Lee's pace-observing large eyes are still looking from here to there, as he asks questions. "I'm thinking bubble tea to beat the heat."

"White."

"Excellent choice, although black is better for oxidization..." He paused wondering if that were even a word, but shook it off with lack of care. Gaara knows what he's getting at.

"Where're the health benefits in bubble tea?"

"Not sure, I just really want something sweet cool." He laughed heartily.

The two walk in a comfortable silence once more, but Lee's twitchiness to move is beginning to creep out of him with every whirl of the kunai.

"What's today's challenge?" Gaara asks.

Enthusiasm bursting; he gets a firmer grip on the kunai before getting into his explanation. "I toss the kunai high into the air, then set a number of backflips for myself to do before it hits the ground. This'll increase my speed in battle when opponents are shooting weapons at me."

"Aa."

"So far, I have to do eighty..." He glances down at the male.

Releasing Lee's hand; a smile ghosts across his lips when the male grabs him in a sideways hold, lifting him from the ground in a vice-like hug before planting a kiss to his cheek then setting him down.

"Thanks Gaara!" He hurls the kunai into the air then pauses before starting the challenge. "You're welcome to do it as well? Training doesn't have to be a solitary thing."

"My speed is no match for yours physically. However..." He kneels.

The distinct sound of his gourd uncorcking itself sounds, and a rumble of sand rolls free from the massive hourglass on his love's back.

"I can use my sand for speed practice."

Hands on his hips, he nods. "You can at that. Gaara," Finger to the sky. "let's go all the way!" Looking out into the field, he started for the kunai but paused when a snake of sand picked up the weapon and hurled it to him. "Excellent. On my mark... Get set... Go!"

Hurling it into the air, he procedes in his backflips, and Gaara bends his sand in a thin trail beside Lee's path.

It went on like this until they reached the little tea house.

...

Gaara took a couple sips from his tea cup then set it down on the little saucer, that gave an audible _klink_. "I see why you wanted cold tea in Spring."

Chuckling, Lee lifts his drink to take down a couple big gulps before passing the remaining half to Gaara. "Here, you can take the rest." Lifting a toothpick, he chomps into the preserved kumquats that were brought to them by the waitress. Swallowing the fruit, he then says. "If you can manipulate your sand to move faster, then you can train yourself as well. Someday you'll even rival me, if you really work at it."

Gaara looks at Lee, sparingly, while sipping from the long plastic blue straw. "What if I dissolve into sand and move along with it?"

Cocking his large brow, Lee looks like he might laugh or become consumed with jealousy. "Well, now you're just showing off." Popping a few more kumquats into his mouth; he steals Gaara's white tea over to his side of the table, and blows it off before taking some swigs. "I'm gonna write Gai-sensei again, once we get back to Suna." He says off-handedly when seeing a messenger hawk show up for an elderly man seated beside their table.

"Have you found time between writing letters to study on Sunagakure's history?" Gaara wants to make sure his future 'precious person' passes the instating test with flying colors.

Living in separate villages was not going to fly with the Kazekage for very long. Though the native Leaf-nin will never give up his existance in Konaha- nor is Gaara trying to make him- until he steps down as Kazekage, these rules have been laid out heavily, and sincerely. If he is to wed Gaara, he must be a member of the village. To pledge his allegiance and loyalty to not only Gaara but the entire village of Sand.

"Of course! I know nearly the entire front and middle of the book by heart!" He then adds through a lighthearted snicker. "Its a wonder its not a bestseller."

Gaara starts to say something, but is cut off before a word even came out by a man dressed from head-to-toe, and sporting an odd pair of goggles. This man makes special deliveries to nation leaders and other important dieties. Naruto once told him a story about himself and Jiraiya-sama, of how they tried to stop one from dropping off one of the Sage's dirty manuscripts that he'd accidentally sent out. It sounded completely fabricated, as do a lot of Naruto's whacky adventures, but he listened intently to the tale.

No.97 walked over to their table, and knelt before him. "Kazekage-sama, a letter from Amegakure."

"Rain?" Lee respectfully kept himself from leaning forward to see the letter's contents, and waits patiently for Gaara to tell him- if he planned to tell him. Gaara never gets into heavy details about work.

The Kazekage's moss green irises skim the paper carefully, then he refolds the letter and stuffs it into its packaging. "Thank you."

"Would you like me to send a messege in return, Kazekage-sama?"

Gaara held out his hand for the offer of pen and paper. Scribbling a note in his tiny handwritting- that Lee pitied anyone's reason, who has to read it- the village leader hands the letter over to the postman, knowing it'll arrive to its destination without fail.

"News from the Summit?"

"No. Two of my men were captured before the war during a conjoined mission, and have been imprisoned in Rain since it had started." Standing from the table, he moves to the exit. "Now that the fighting is over, they were able to send me a messege to retrieve them."

Confused, Lee asks. "Why not just release them? I thought the countries were on better terms?"

"Getting there. Besides that, these men could actually be assassins." Hoisting his gourd onto his back, he continues speaking. "Letting them go just because they ask for me, could be fatal. So I have to identify them as mine, then we can go."

"Simple distraction. Then we can get back to resting?"

"Yes."

Lee exits after Gaara, whistling a tune. It will be a good distraction from resting- not that he was with all the training he's been assigning himself- but that's what rest is to Lee. If you're not battling, you're self-improving.

Konoha. In an apartment complex, room 105.

Hyuuga Neji is sitting on the long wrap-around porch of the old style building. Old-style meaning you have to heat the water yourself. Eyes closed; he counts slowly to seven then let out a steadying sigh. The reason for this is the pounding feet of Maito Gai, making his way towards his humble doorstep amongst the flat of rooms. Eight sets of building surrounded by a zen-gate, stacked no higher than two is where most ninja reside until their neck-of-the-woods has been restored.

Gai is coming over for the usual reason he comes over whenever the mail comes, and its carrying a letter from Lee. Watch. When the large door of the gated community slides over, Gai will walk in; beaming ear to ear with a play-by-play of the note that, and get this, he has the triplet of!

The nut doesn't even care if you show him the copy, because he'll gladly point out a slight difference in the cloned note: a looped letter, a slight smudge from Lee's hand brushing through the wet ink- _anything_!

Its happened so frequently that Neji's learned to wait outside, seated on the porch, for his former sensei; lest there be a repeat of incident 3 when Gai took it upon himself to waltz into his bathroom. Something like that is grounds for mental and physical preparation to avoid a second coming.

"Neji!" The jounin mouthed along with the man. "I bring news from our Lee's adventures of bodyguarding at the summit and in the Sand!"

See. He's done it that many times, in the exact same way, with the exact same words. But he's got a plan.

"I was about to leave," He stands from his seat. "my team is doing a mercenary mission today. I can't be held up for that."

"Then we'll walk together, and I'll tell you on the way."

"I've already read it, Gai."

"Ha ha!" Clearing the distance, he claps him on the back. "Your byakugan is as sharp as ever!" Pettering off, he holds his chin contemplatively. "Although I didn't know that you could read from that far away with it... Amazing!"

"I have my own copy, Gai. I'd show it to you but, as I said, I'm busy."

"Right. Duties first." He nods. "I'll just have to invite you to dinner, and we can talk then."

"Right." 'Right' meaning, he hoped someone would distracted the man so he forgets.

Leaving the cheerful man behind him, he walks slowly around the village looking for something to do. With construction still going on, there's plenty to keep him out of harms way for the day. He didn't have a mission to oversee, and he didn't want to lie to Gai... but the utter madness to unintentionally be treated like you've been left out of something because of a bond close enough to spread mimickery, can be strength sapping.

He had to wonder if Lee were always like that, or changed after Gai got his optimistic, look-on-the-bright-side, hands on him? Neji smiled, a small smile. That question was gonna bug him for minutes.

Looking on ahead, he spots a familiar backside and heads over to where he's traipsing. Latching a hand onto a strand of the braided belt that's poking up in the air, he keeps him from walking into a stack of wooden planks.

"Lunch? Or lost?" Its not the first time he's seen Sasuke's new state-of-being learning humility as he gets around the large construction site of a village.

Sasuke paused on the question, then spoke. "Both."

"This way. They're doing district E right now, but A through D are finished. We'll go there."

Giving a nod, Sasuke follows Neji's massive chakra through the haze of flimsy streams that are the villagers, mixed with shinobis'.

"I thought you'd agreed to one of Pakkun's companions to help you around until construction is complete in certain places?"

"Its enough that I'm blind, but I have to be subjected to one of those surly chatting mutts of his?"

_'Point taken.'_ He thinks, recalling his own narrow escape.

"It must be strange being back, with the village as it is..." Neji goes on as they take a corner. "We'd always thought" To a point, he did after all make it into the Bingo Book. "that when you returned, you'd have something to return to... It doesn't seem that anyone does now."

"Its better this way," They take another corner.

He remembered Gaara talking about darkness when they'd battled- well, when Gaara defended against his battling, the jinchuriki only wanted to talk on Naruto's behalf. My how people change. But he'd made a valid point.

"I was in the dark about everything the village is and was... What was done to my brother, and what he'd done and why... By the time this civilization returns to its former existance, I will be a new man, just as it will be a new village."

Neji thought that was a wise way of thinking. Once Tsunade fully recovers she's going to do surgery on Sasuke's eyes to restore his vision. He'll be a new man, in a new village. Hmm. Moving the sho pname's sign aside, he asks. "Do you still wish to become the Hokage?"

"I'll fight Naruto tooth and nail." But he said it, with a smile and joined Neji in the restaurant.

...

"Sasuke," Neji begins after ordering a bowl of squid ink noodles. "I've been wondering about what happened to Taka?"

"Juugo returned to sound with Orochimaru. He's going out for Hokage; I'm not sure why he'd want to be by his side, but I wasn't going to stop him." A slurp of spicy noodles is taken down, and after swallowing he continues. "Suigetsu decided to stay with me." He looks out the window. "He's in the former Uchiha district, staying in the catacombs." Returning his attention to his meal, he stirs the chopsticks through the bowl. Scoffing, he adds. "He thinks he's gonna get locked up the minute the Hokage is decided."

"Interesting."

"I told him I wouldn't arrest him, but he's adamant with staying out of view."

The 2 eat in silence, then Neji brings up another topic that's garnered his attention.

"I was only expanding my byakugan... but for three mornings now, I've seen you leaving Naruto's apartment..." He left the comment open ended.

"Our heated debate over being Hokage tends to get a little out of hand."

For some reason Neji thought that was a lie. Oh sure, the two rib each other about that from time to time, but spending the night seemed a bit deeper than arguing about life goals. Shikamaru brought it to his attention in a joke.

"Hn," He'd intoned when spotting the two bickering over a hammer. "practically brothers, then one-sided enemies, what next? Dating in secret?" He stuffed his hands into his pockets as ready to walk away from the thought that was stopping to talk to him. "Screwing around the most." And he took his leave, leaving a curious Neji behind.

"And what about Kakashi? You think he'll just step down?"

"He was chosen from necessity of war. He'll step down."

"Old man, fill me up two bowls of barbecue ribs ramen, to go- oh!" Spotting the two, his ordering changes, "Hey Neji..." In mock anger, he sneers out. "Sasuke." Brightening, he joins them at their table, giving the Uchiha a hard bump over with his hip. "What are we talking about?" He asks while peering into their bowls.

Naruto's lack of change has become the village breath. They've all got little stains, cracks, and chips in their armor from the fallout of war. Neji most of all. When you've been to the other-side, it's not something you generally forget.

Whomever said death is warm and light has obviously never been there. Death is nothing. You grow cold. You become dark. Then you are nothing. He'd opened his eyes into the living world to Lee's big excitement, crying over him, hugging him close. And during that hug, when his head turned, he saw Gai's ruined body laying next to him. He was confused even after everything was explained. And he still has nasty scars in nearly perfect circles as a constant reminder that life is too short.

Naruto's slurping brought him back from his thoughts. "Aaaa... filler up!" He sets the empty bowl down then reaches for the second one he'd ordered.

Smiling, the owner pats the blond on the back. "Anything for you, hero; I'll put in an extra egg and riblette."

"Thanks, old man." He grins in return.

"I was there too, and no one's giving me extra food." Sasuke comments insincerely.

"Free stuff is for good-looking guys." He pokes Sasuke in the cheek.

"So then why are you getting it?" He snipped back.

Secretly smirking at how obvious it is now, that the two are together. Neji distracts their verbal love-fest. "What area are you working on?"

"This one, its why I stopped in to eat." He winks an eye, while the other rolls throughfully to the ceiling. "I think its aaaaa... pet store." Thumbing towards the window, he adds. "Kiba's really getting on my nerves over the layout. I was gonna bring him lunch, but then I saw you two." Cheekily he adds. "Guess he'll just have to wait while I pig out." Lifting bowl number two, he gulps down the rich beefy broth. "What about you two?"

"I'll be working on the library and stationary store." Replies the reborn.

"I'm going to get another check up after I eat. Ocular surgary apperantly has a lot of conditions that go along with it." He grits his teeth. "And I'm not so blind that I can't tell you're sticking your tongue out at me, Naruto."

"You should have gone blind ages ago," He teased while slipping around the table to Neji's side. "picking on you is a lot more fun this way."

"Here's your order." The owner sets the bowls down, then leaves for the counter returning with a small bag of two noodle cups to go.

"Thank you." Eyeing the unasked for bag, he then recalls why he'd stopped in. "I gotta go." He dumped one bowl of noodles in with the other, and put on a horror show of taking it down like Chouji.

Something like that made Neji wish his vision was gone as well.

"Aaaa," He voiced his affection for the meal. "Bye guys, see you around. Good luck with your eye thing, Sasuke." He bid to him sincerely.

Gathering his previous order, he rushes out the door to the work-in-progress of a pet store.

9 9 9

Somewhere between Tea and Rain, Rock Lee and Gaara have set up their sleeping bags and tent. A roaring fire is crackling around a catch of red snapper, stuck through a stick; in the fire amongst the logs are wrapped sweet potatoes, lifting a nice aroma into the air over the stink of fish inards dripping from the aquatic creature's mouth.

"Rasengan shuriken!" Lee called into the open field.

Palm held out like he's seen from Naruto; he then provides his own sound effects of what the technique sounds like.

"Aaa!" He wrenched in pain falling over, when an invisible blast came his way. "You're good... But I'm better!" He declared to no one.

Gaara glanced over from his attention to the food, offering Lee's antics a smile. He does this sort of thing sometimes, just plays 'pretend' with techniques. He of course being the ultimate Sage of the world, he can use all elements, Fuuinjutsu for sealing, Seinjutsu- since he's a Sage, Kekkei genkai because nothing says ultimate warrior like something that only your bloodline can do, and if he feels the need Genjutsu.

Straightening, he holds out a hand; a serious expression on his face. "Sabaku"

Quirking an ear, he looks over to the ninja master and leant him a special effect.

"Sabaku no yashi!"

"Hando." Corrects the sand-nin.

Taken aback, he asks. "Really? That simple?" Regaining his composure as a roughian, he says with more passion. "Sabaku handoooo!"

Two large hands made of condensed sand sprang up from the grass; Gaara provided the pretender with a sand clone shaped like any run-of-the-mill villain. The attack crushed the clone ultimately ending his life.

Lee gave a hefty laugh, posing with his fist against his hips, and his head tilted back. "Thanks, Gaara." He said, dropping his charade. Taking a few quick whiffs of the aromas in the air, he practically skips over to the glow in the night. "Are the fish ready?"

Reaching for a stick, he hands it off to Lee, then takes one for himself.

"Are you ever worried your sand will be heated to glass, if a fire attack were aimed at you?"

Gaara's chopsticks paused before his mouth, thinking about the question. "I don't think my chakra would allow that to happen. Its mixed in with the sand, afterall."

"Mm."

Eating in silence, they listen to the nightlife make noise for them. Bugs chirping for meals or sex, water nearby giving out a quiet rustle, that warm breeze swishing over the other sounds. The fire is a nice touch, snapping and humming before them.

Lee basked in the serene moment by looking at the sky, out at the field of darkened green, then over at Gaara. Smiling, he scoots a lot closer to him than a couple butts away. Gaara turned his eyes at the approach, but continued eating his dinner then returned to watching the sweet potatoes still engulfed in flames.

"You know," Lee began. "I like it when you're quiet."

"Are you saying you prefer I don't speak?"

"No. I just like the way you do quiet- like you're taking it all in." He nods to affirm his thoughts. "Are you taking it all in?"

"Yes."

"..." Smiling, he nudges him, then asks. "Am I being taken in?"

"Yes."

"What do think?" He's curious to know.

He himself has never thought too deeply, he had once but that was a very bleak time in his life. He'd run from the hospital, not from fear of the opperation, but fear of the end result that he would no longer be a shinobi. After all his hard work, all his dreams of showing the world of ninjas his place among it. But after a talk, and a much needed cry, with Gai-sensei, he realized to never doubt himself or think to deeply again.

"Why do you do that?" He asks, staying on subject in his own way. "What you were doing just now... Why do it?"

"Hmm.." A thoughtful hum, his method of thinking.

"You do it often enough. Why?"

"Can't you tell?"

Gaara shakes his head; leaning forward with a stick in hand, he pokes the potatoes free from the fire. The grey balls roll over onto the soft earth, where they're left to cool down a bit. Lee reached for a potato, and began to rapidly blow it off so he can begin eating.

"Ow, ow..." He peels the wrapping from it. "Sometimes I dream about having ninjitsu. I know I'll be a wind-type but... I wonder what kinds of amazing things I could do if I were able to use my chakra too." He takes a bite of potato, blowing the heat from his mouth around it before continuing to chew. "Don't you have dreams?"

A faint smile came across his face, and he answered very softly. "I think I've realized all of mine... Or, I'm at least beginning to."

"Mm. All I can do is pretend- its fun though." Grinning, he then chomps into the crispy side of his fish. "I can be as powerful as I want, or as weak as I want."

"I hope you aren't yourself when you're weak," He looks over at his thoughtful lover. "You're one of the strongest people I know. Your spirit won't back down no matter where you direct it... Its beautiful, and frightening."

Gaara reaches for a potato, staring pensively at the fire's orange glow playing off the gray wrapping.

"There were always times when I felt like giving up, and sometimes I wished I had... But, bad persistance only makes _you_ stronger, it seems. Something like that is stronger than all the ninjitsu techniques in the world."

Wrapping his arms around him from the side, he smooches the maker of those kind words. "Thanks Gaara... Sometimes, I need to be reminded of things like that." He looks out into the open field of grass. "Maybe just... one more attack." He holds up an innocent finger in plead.

"Okay."

"Sabaku... Souso!"

Lee chuckled merrily when a blast of sand flew through the air displaying the attack; assalting Gaara's cheek with peck after peck; he then leans over past the red head to take a bite from his potato.

"Gaara?" He continues kissing his cheek.

"Mm?" He turns his head, so those kisses land in a better place.

"Do you think mother-nature would care if weeee... slept naked in our bags?"

More deadpanned than usual, Gaara shakes his head to the question; a lecherous smile on his face. "We can do a little better than that." He reached for the zipper of Lee's flak jacket, pulling it down before pouncing on him.

And mother-nature listened while Lee had a momentary resistance of keeping on his form-fitting unitard, then of the rustling of clothing, before the conjoining of skin-on-skin shadowed across the back of the field that's an otherwise dark sea of grass before them, every sigh and combustable pant from their enjoyment.

Lee held the naked red head close to his own bare form; the fire had been put out, and the tents occupied by them in a single sleeping bag; his is still rolled up in his backpack. Sighing in contemplation, he nuzzles his nose against Gaara's temple. He understood what Gaara was saying about his having emense inner strength. But sometimes, he'd like some of the outer strength too.

Raising his bandaged hand up to the side of his mouth, aiming the imaginary attack at the canopy of the tent, he proceeds. "Katon..." Its a mere whispered into the still of the tent. "Ryuka no jutsu."

He offered a secret smile to the flaming dragon, his arm, roaming through the air. His large eyes settle on the drifting limb, wrapped in bandages first to assist in battle and second to cover the many many scars that training, and battles have left upon them. But none deeper than the centipede-style injury created by Gaara's sand to his left leg and arm. He doesn't hold a grudge, its not his style. But he does wonder if it would have turned out that way, if he weren't just a man.


	2. Trouble Brewing

Gaara opened his frosty green eyes to the familiar sound of wind slamming into wind. He didn't have to feel the lack of warmth on the other side of the sleepingbag nor the disappearance of a body to know that it's Lee outside, bashing the wind into itself.

Rolling over from his stomach, he gets up for the day.

The Kazekage often wondered if Lee's challenge to the gale force would cause a hurricane or tornado someday? But it seemed unlikely. The ambitious shinobi started this little activity during a wind storm in Suna one afternoon. Gaara had been working for the day, and never one to handle boredom, Lee decided he'd test the blast of wind from from his _s_enpu kicks against nature's fury.

The red head wasn't sure how a victor could be decided through this, but upon seeing scars left in cacti or trees, he figured the victor was Lee if his wind could cut through the powerful gust and still leave a mark on something in the direct path.

Avoiding the personal beat-down going on he walks to the nearby river, in all his glory, to wash. He brought with him a wooden bucket fished from a strap on his travel bag and filled it with toiletries: soap, shampoo, a towel. He'd of liked to include a razor and cream, but the need to shave has alluded him since he hit his teens and seems to want to continue to do so throughout his nearing adulthood.

Removing his toiletries, he then turns the bucket over and takes a seat on it. Lucky its warm out; he only needs to dunk his bar of soap into the river water, he then scrubs it over his body with efficiant swiftness.

Lee smiled at the victory of the day. He'd bested mother nature once again. It was great that its so windy this morning; they must be closer to Suna than he'd thought. Looking to the river when he hears splashing sounds, Lee spots Gaara about to hand a bar of soap to a sand clone. He smiles when seeing that the clone looks like him.

_'How sweet!'_ He declared to himself.

Lee vanished in a blur, appearing behind Gaara to swipe the bar from him. Gesturing for the clone to scram, he happily begins washing the male's back for him. Gaara continued rubbing his soaped torso thoroughly to clean himself.

He's washed Gaara's back before during their conjoined showers over in Sunagakure, and he was never intrussive of Gaara's person, but the red head's never been seated during a shower. And Lee caught himself admiring the seat-plumped rear, to the point, that he let his washing hands linger on the crest.

A small smile appeared across Gaara's mouth. "Of all the clones I've made of Lee, you're the most inaccurrate."

Laughing, Lee hands the soap back to Gaara before wrapping his arms around him from behind. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"None of them have ever tried to fondle me." Replied the Kazekage.

"Then they must have their head in the sand." Sniffing his fiance on his nice clean neck, Lee plants kisses there. "Mmm. Nice and clean."

Nuzzling his profile into Lee's, he comments softly. "It won't last long if your unpopular cologne sticks to me."

Cocking a grand brow, he wonders. "Unpopular colo... ohhh," Releasing Gaara with a chuckle, he says in mock offense. "So sorry my sweat offends you, your majesty."

"If you're bathing you should hurry, we have to go through Suna and restock our supplies for a longer days travel."

Halfway out of his form-fitting unitard, Lee's face breaks into an enormous grin. "You mean we get to take the sand steamers?!"

Sand steamers were constructed a few months back to help travelers, mainly merchants, who aren't gifted with superhuman abilities to cross the desert that's newly infested with sandworms. The war wasn't just between the ninja, its also effected mother nature and her creatures who fled to different inhabitants to stay alive.

These worms are about the size of a full-grown human, and as deadly as a plague of starving cannibals let loose after you've sustained an injury to your legs. Seeing as how they're not going for a recreational workout of destroying pest, he saw no reason that they shouldn't take the steamers.

"It is the fastest mode of transportation,"

Lee thought they could have restocked in his hometown, but then he remembered that nothing of the sort is open beyond restaurants for the workers to have meals. When they say everyone is helping out, they mean everyone.

There's also the option of restocking at a shop in River- a border which they're currently at- and go then to Rain from there on a boat, and they could leave out Suna all together- it would be faster- but, Gaara probably wanted to touch base with his village before going back out. Its understandable when the shinobi world is still so fragile.

Standing from his seat; he uses the bucket for its actual purpose and scoops water from the running river into the bucket, dumping it over his head repeating it until the soap has been rinsed off completely.

"And it would be nice to spend a couple more days together before you go back to Konoha."

"Aaaahh!" Voicing his refreshed pleasure of splashing water all over himself, he then shakes his head vigorously to remove the heavier amount of water in it. "Sounds good to me." Scrubbing water over his face with his hands, he then moves on to wash his hair.

Taking it upon himself to assist Lee in his bath, he crosses through the stream over to the energetic shinobi and begins in on the task of scrubbing down Lee's back. He resisted the urge to return the earlier favor done to him, but they really needed to hurry.

With help from the strong winds blowing they dried off quickly, even without the towels. It really was a shame to waste such a nice day traveling with a purpose, but it couldn't be helped. His men are waiting for him, granted they're from Suna.

"Gaara," He repremanded his nudist lover, who's walking back to their tent without a stitch of shame, by covering him with his towel. "Your guards are around," He didn't need to add 'somewhere', it was implied because they can be very discrete in location. Hidden but watching; and in that watching they'll be seeing certain bits that should be covered.

"We're all men, Lee." He moves the flap and steps inside the tent.

"Yes, but do they have to know the details?" He looks about, adjusting his own towel more securely around his waist before stepping inside.

That only produced a chuckle from the Kazekage. Dressing; afterwards the two packed their things, then broke down the tent to stow away as well. Their short trip to Tea Country was officially over.

...

Lee cocked a suspicious eye at the dog-pile of merchants lining a seat against the steamer's metal walls. The majority of them are a shifty looking bunch; bundles are resting against their chest and stomach filled with who knew what, while the more respectable- known- merchants are in the midst of trying to make a trade, even as they've just obtained a portion of their wares.

"Prickly pear candy for you, sir?" One of them turned to his right to ask Lee this. He looked as though he could use a lot less candy in his diet with as crooked as the teeth are that shone in the dim lighting.

"Thank you." Reaching into his coin purse he removes a few ryo, then hands them to the man in exchange for the pouch of candied cactus leaflettes.

Lee loves traveling in these things. The contruction of cold steel and power, working on thin piston joints and condensation, he couldn't help but feel a kinship with the lifeless machine. Plus, you get to meet salty characters sometimes.

Opening the bag he leans it to the Kazekage, who removed three then ate them quietly one at a time. The murmur of the passangers was nearly hushed completely by the sound of the machine's engineering when it started to move.

The sand steamer is constructed to look like a giant silver scarab beetle; its movement made possibly by a steam system that uses sand and water heated to a piping degree, creating the steam that the little cylinder pumps use to shove the ligaments into function by the applied pressure.

A dozen worms rose from the sand to welcome the movement above their hiding holes; they plan to show the disturbance what the new sands of Suna are all about. But every firm toothed bite on the machine was going to waste because the steel could not be pierced by their pursuit, they even lost teeth when latching onto it getting dragged off out of their hole.

The worms hard bodies are torn to meaty chunks under metal foot; the offense does not go ignored by the rest of the community of infestation, and reenforcements spring up from underground to take their shot at the strange prey that's besting them.

But with the pressurized speed of the machine their efforts were beyond futile, and the group of travellers make their ways easily through the infested desert, leaving pools of sludge in its depature.

0 0 0

Amegakure. An absess between three of the Five Great Shinobi Nations. Once run by Hanzo the Salamander, during a time when it served as a battlefield for war; it was during Ninja World War III that the man lost his life to Nagato of Akatsuki, which at the time was a group of liberation rather than criminal orginazation. Nagato later changed his identity to Pain, and under this name took rule of the country; slaughtering any assassin who came after him and his aides due to loyalty to Hanzo.

Because Pain could briefly stop the constant rain fall, the citizens could only bow to the man and fall under his rule, though what could they have done really to oppose him? When Pain was defeated, and Konan took rule in his place. She was killed by Akatsuki member Tobi for Pain's Rinnengan eyes, and since then the village has been in quiet wonder over who should rule between the two men who have stepped up to lead: Kerai Akio and Shochou Hayate.

Full of war refugees, thieves, the starved and desperate, broken and poor; though the village allows you in, it remains under heavy surveillance within its walls and its borders. No one is trusted from within, and no one is trusted from without.

But whichever way their chosen leader chooses to lean in ruling, they of Rain will lean into the ruling.

Lee huddled in on himself against the peeping eyes of Rain's security. He doesn't really like hard examinations of his person. There's too much in there to see in his opinion. Eyes on his hard work as a ninja he can deal with, but nothing else.

Gaara seemed disinterested in the whole ordeal, but trudged on through the border's leer and up to the large front barracades without so much as a side glance at the discrete movement over at their right.

As if he'd somehow morphed from the bolted door, but was actually hiding well enough to be invisible, a tall guard stands before them with his arms crossed. He's got long dark brown hair braided into pigtails with a crewcut up top, cruel beady brown eyes; his arms are big and beefy which sort of clash with his height, and he looks like he could snap you clean in half without so much as an unintentional flexing of those arms.

Lee nods to himself with a high level of impressed.

"Name and reason for entering." He demanded without request. His voice was much lighter than his body; it must be a balancing thing. Build like aa underground compound, voice of a feather.

"Kazekage Sabaku no Gaara, I've come for my confined subordinates." Not breaking eye contact, he adds. "This is my bodyguard, Rock Lee. If you feel there is no need for him, then it will make no difference whether he accompanies me inside or not."

The man appeared less than impressed with either of them; his arms remain crossed over his tree trunk chest as he leered down at them. "What are these _'subordanates'_ doing in Rain?"

"They were on a conjoined mission with an ally nation, and wound up in Rain's custody upon the start of war. I was given word to pick them up by your police chief." He removes the summons from his pocket handing it over to the man who snatched it quickly away. No funny business afterall.

Eyeing the paper, he only had to recognize the seal of their moderately sized police force to have him stepping away from the part inbetween the doors. "Don't linger. We're in the middle of political debate for the well-being of our village. We don't have time or resources to mess around with false warfare."

_'Could have fooled me.'_ Thinks Lee with a squint as the doors part for them.

"In and out."

"In and out." Gaara repeats.

"What about them?" He nods indirectly behind the pair.

4 men appear in a kneel behind Gaara and Lee.

"Kazekage-sama." One of the men questions their leader's decision.

Gaara nods, "They can remain out here." then he walks through the large entrance with Lee in tow.

Lee doesn't know about Gaara, but he's never been to Rain before so his large eyes are taking in this sight and that to really take it all in. Amegakure is certainly living up to its name as far as the leaf-nin can tell. It hasn't ceased to even a drizzle since they arrived ten minutes ago. And if you're the kind of person who goes mad from repetative sounds, the slapping of feet on wet concrete would send you straight to the nut house.

"Maybe we should ask someone where the prison is?" He suggest when another scrutinizing eye catches his own wandering gaze.

"My sand eye will find it, and we'll go from there." Gaara replied easily.

"Still, the guy at the gate could have told us." He muttered to himself.

"Its better we keep to ourselves."

Inching behind Gaara, he suddenly recalls that he is in fact the younger man's bodyguard and decides to puff up his chest and step before him instead. He's not intimidated, just concerned. He's only been here less than 20 minutes, and he wants to reach into his purse and shell out ryo to dirty little boys and girls walking slowly about the streets, looking at fruits and vegetables with lust filled eyes. The adults aren't any better.

They've got a look that says "beat it or I'll beat your ass" or "feed me, please". Either scenario could go down if they didn't leave soon. Just as Gaara started to say he found the police station, a man's booming voice ran over it.

Their gazes search for the voice, out of habit, and they fall on a slender narrow-eyed brunet, who's standing on a sort of stage before a well-sized crowd of citizens.

"That's right!" A woman cried from whatever the man had just said.

Unable to help himself, Lee joins the crowd out of curiosity. Not wanting to delay leaving, Gaara thought about snagging Lee and tugging him along with him to the precinct, but instead just joined him at the back of the crowd; though he tugged the hood of his cloak lower to furter hide his face. It was fine for Lee to eavesdrop, but this could be a bad scene for him.

"We don't have to be the lesser man!" Preached the man on stage. "We don't have to know the pain of death having done nothing, when we too could choose to fight along with our fellow man!"

"You tell 'em, Kerai-san!" Shouts an onlooker.

"What is the one major thing we as the people hate when war comes our way?" He looks around as if expecting an answer, then goes on when the men, women, and teens look at him in wonder. "Its that we're sending our husbands and wives and children out into the world with nothing but hope that they'll come back! But on the battlefield, we can know! And with this power we can do even better by preventing such life taking situations from ever happening again!"

"Yeah!" The crowd cheered.

"This man is insane." Gaara mutters to Lee.

"He is... Though, I'm not entirely sure what he's talking about." He admits.

"We'll no longer feel the threat; we'll no longer be inferior!" The man, Kerai, continued. "You, sir, haven't you felt threatened by the shinobi world?" He points out a man with a burn all over his face, and some rough patches on his arms. "Those burns don't appear natural to me."

"N..n..no... M..my" The man is saying through a hard stutter. "son was asked to war because he has water style jutsus, I refused and was burned by a man because he told me I don't know when to butt-out."

The crowd looked aghast by this.

"My point exactly... You were assalted with no way to assalt. You, a mere man, could do nothing. But it won't stay that way for much longer. Not now that I've found the cure of our indifference."

Done listening to the incompetant, he begins to move away. "Let's go, Lee."

Lee looked to where Gaara's headed, but remains firmly planted in place until the man begins his speech about choosing him as Amegakure's leader, he then takes a step to the right but pauses when the man removes a stone of somekind from his pocket, but figuring its nothing he loses interest enough to leave after Gaara.

Ten minutes later Lee watches a young boy gathering rocks by a nature-made canal; the child scampered away when the second downpour began, though with the dripping buildings no one is sure when the first one had stopped; either way, the child had no desire to be swept away in a flash wave that might happen through.

"He seems in a hurry." Lee comments.

Pausing his steps, Gaara looked but was too late to see anyone. "Its not much farther." He informs his permitted bodyguard, as if to alert him that he should remain alert.

"Yes sir!" He salutes with a straight back, clicked together heels, and a hand to his forehead.

Smiling faintly, he continues on to the police station in silence. Gaara had to admit it, the place is a bit of a downer, even in daylight. The rain is ridiculously present, the energy is so low you'd think you're asleep, and in all honesty it seems as though the village itself is in a state of poverty with the way everyone who's litering the streets is covered in filth or rags, or trying to steal a meal. But as he'd told Lee, its not their problem and they shouldn't get involved.

Five minutes away, Lee lifts his nose into the air. "Mmm." His stomach agreed with a loud enough growl. Wondering where the smell was coming from, he looks past Gaara and points. "There it is!" Hurrying by, he clears the distance to the station with a record breaking sprint; waiting at the door, he opens it for the slow-paced red head then gestured its admittance to him.

"Kazekage-sama." The officer at the desk regocnized the young village leader right away, after all, his sand barrier was over his head protecting him during the war. "Right this way." He whistles to one of the officers standing guard by a door; a sign to the right of the door reads: Holding Cells. "Fujikawa can show you inside."

The pair walk to the guard at the door, passing through into the hall once its unlocked.

"Lord Gaara!" One man cried out as he approached.

"Kazekage-sama!" The other said in relief.

"Are they yours?" The guard asks; it isn't enough for the imprisoned to recognize the young man, He has to ID them.

"Yes. They're from Suna. You can let them out."

"We're so relieved to see you're alive." The first sand-nin to speak comments. "We heard things about the war, we even felt the shakes."

"We thought the place was gonna come down on us." Chimed the other shinobi.

To the guard, Gaara asks. "Is there anything I need to sign?"

"Right this way." The guard takes them back into the main hall of the station.

Lee followed the group around quietly; with some wonder as to why the guards look so spooked?

"I can't wait to get home... Is there even a home to return to?" Asks the first shinobi.

"Suna is fine. It was Konoha that took the brunt of the attack."

Gaara didn't need to mention neighboring villages that got hit with backlash. It wasn't any wonder they thought the building was gonna come down on them with the battlefield right next door. They're lucky to be alive. All the refugees are.

"Can we get something to eat before we head back?" Lee suggests on the freed men's behalf, and himself.

"No!" The shinobi shout in unison.

"P- please... We can get back to the village ourselves, if you wish to stay. But, we'd like to get home."

The second ninja nods in agreement.

Lowering the pen, he nods to them. "If that's what you want. We'll see you to the gate."

He'd of let it be, but this place has been even sketchier than what seems usual. Its better to see that the men are actually safe and sound and on their way home before he goes about any other business involving this place. Thankfully its something as frivilous as a quick meal. Even he has to admit he's hungry, having only had candy all day.

"Thank you.. Thank you.."

The four leave the station in somewhat of a hurry, going through the village towards the exit faster than Gaara and Lee had come in- of course, now they know which way they're going.

"I hate you!" Cried a child. "I hate you!" He throws one of the many stones he'd gathered by the canal.

"Hey!" A man snapped, before trying to snatch the child away from the rally.

"Get rid of that brat." Kerai ordered anyone who'd listen, while dodging the stones. "Take him out of here."

"No! No!" He flails when a woman gets her hands on him after he was run into a barracade of spectators for her to grab him. "I hate him, he killed him!"

That turned Lee's head. What was going on over there?

Spotting a flailing child being hassled by adults, he sprang into action and rushed to the rescue. Gaara narrowed his eyes at the unwanted situation that he'd thoroughly told Lee to avoid. These people and their lives are not something that can be fixed by outsiders or insiders.

"Let the kid go!" Lee bellowed over the noise while the child was being snatched this direction and that by anyone who felt a need to touch him out of kindness.

He shoved the people's grasping hands from him, pulling him into his safety, and covering him with the lower length of his cloak. The crowd doesn't back off just because a stranger butts in, and they move in on Lee intent to hurl him from the child and continue with their pesturing him. But they should have known better than to mess with the splendid beast that is Rock Lee.

Scooping the child into his arms, he quickly executes a senpu against the onslaught knocking them all over the place. A collective groan went up, right before one of the men on stage with the bitter elective, Kerai, points down at Lee saying.

"Do you see, it continues to happen to us even as we attempt to make equality with the shinobi scum."

Offended by the comment, Lee straightens and bickers back with a fist raised in self-justice. "I'm not scum! And neither are other shinobi." Looking at Kerai he tries to explain. "You were all planning to hurt a chi-..."

"Come this way!" The boy insists, as he drags Lee away by the wrist.

Keeping himself covered, Gaara follows after them. His men fled the gate that was pointed out to them. How is it that something as simple as a two man pick-up could be turned into so much trouble?

...

The young boy mauled his offering of food from the kind stranger; he ate and ate, not even caring whether or not it was actually from his plate. He swiped a couple slabs of Lee's skirtsteak, and even found himself removing a clump of baked potato from the grouchy looking red head.

Lee only smiled sadly at the young boy's hunger. He even looks like he's starved, so he really can't blame him for finishing his plates and aiming at another's. Gaara was getting a little testy, due to the fact that this "in and out" seemed like "in" wouldn't end. Not to mention, everyone in the place is giving them the evil eye, namely the hungry young boy. They must not like children here, that, or the child tends to eat and run.

Clearing his throat when the child's fork found his plate for the third time, he had to bring his chow down to an end. "If you're done, we'll be taking our leave."

"Gaara?" Lee sounded as if his lover had just said "go lose a leg" to the child. "Don't you think we should help him? That mob seemed pretty vicious."

"He worked them up by throwing rocks."

Ignoring the indifference, he asks the child. "Why were you throwing rocks at that guy anyway?"

The reaching hands stilled, and he slowly crumpled in on himself to hide the tears that suddenly flooded his eyes.

"D- don't cry," He waves his hands up defensively; the fall of tears were like a spray of shurikan waiting for a target, and in Lee's case they hit their mark because his heart aches for the child. "we'll help you."

Gaara fixed Lee with a dirty look that, like all his resistance to Lee's curiosity, went ignored.

"We'll start smaller, my name is Lee." He's not so foolish as to give his surname. "What's yours?"

"Miyamoto." He sniffled.

"Its nice to meet you, Miyamoto." He made a small bow. "This is Gaara."

Miyamoto only continued to aim tears at his lap, his choppy brown hair did nothing to hide his miserable freckled face.

"Will you tell us why you're so angry with that man?" He reapproached the subject.

"He has my older brother." Sobbed the child.

Lee and Gaara exchange glances of concern and disbelief. They thought it'd be something simple, that maybe Kerai had been incharge for a moment and maybe raised living taxes and evicted the kid from his home; or maybe the kid's just got a bad disposition with authority because it's the thing to do when you're young. But why on earth would the man have the child's brother?

"Are you sure?" Lee asks.

Miyamoto nods, lowering his voice. "My brother used to work for him in the factory that shut down a six months ago, because of the war. Its at the edge of town," He points left as though it were two feet away instead of miles. "He was a security guard."

"But how do you know Kerai has anything to do with it?" This was Gaara finally joining the conversation beyond being a listener.

Seeing the hard glances from the other patrons in the bar, he swallows and offers the jist of his problem. "Because he came home from work every night at the same time."

Gaara felt himself rolling his eyes, though not physically. That explanation didn't clear up anything.

Trying to make better sense of it, Lee concludes. "Okay, you mean that your brother hasn't come home anymore?"

"Yeah, but... it was before he didn't come home." He starts crying again.

Sucking in a breath to steady his agitation with the pace of this conversation, Gaara speaks thoughtfully to the distraut male. "Stop crying. Tell us what happened and we'll see if we can find out what happened to your brother for you. But if its got nothing to do with that man outside, you must leave him alone. Understand?"

The child nods his head frantically. He's so happy for help that his appetite has restored, and he's once again snatching at food to make way for his mouth.

Beaming his trademark smile at Gaara, Lee all but hugs the male before he recalled that the child never said a word about what happened to his brother beyond "he didn't come home".

"Miyamoto, your brother?"

"Hmm?" He seemed almost startled.

"You're going to need to tell us what's happened before your brother's disappearance, if that's the part that's most relevant. He could have just gone somewhere."

"But he didn't." The boy mopes again.

It would seem they'll be talking circles all night at this rate.

"My brother, Tetsu, he came home on two occasions and told me that that bad man has been looking at him funny. Like he's... you know, evil."

"You can't assume Kerai has done anything to your brother just because he was looking at him." Gaara injects. He could have been accussed of evil thoughts as often as he's hard stared at Lee, when he was trying to figure out why he likes him. "Its just not enough of a reason to suspect someone of foul play."

"But my brother wasn't just a security guard, he had abilities... like a ninja."

That was it. The eavesdropping bartender had heard enough. This boy would tell his story to just about anyone who was dumb enough to listen, and frankly she was getting tired of the slander. Along with everyone else in the village. Isn't it enough that they still have no ruler, but now they have to suffer in some brat trying to cause trouble while the place is in a peaceful state of cease-fire. Small wonder he'd involve outsiders, since the rest of the town has cast him aside.

"Miyamoto!" The branwy woman snapped. "You stop talking nonsense about Kerai; he's a good and honest man just trying to help us out. Do you really think we'll see him any differently because you and some outsiders plan to go snooping around where you don't belong?" Popping her meaty hand down on the wooden countertop, she leans her weight on it to glare authoritively at him; the expression hidden from the outsiders at that angle.

Bowing his head, he tucks himself into a mental shelter again, taking his verbal beating as per usual when speaking about his brother.

"I don't ever wanna see you in here again, you got that?" Straightening, she waves him away. "Go on, get out. Tell your friends to pay the bill and to go on with you, as well."

Miyamoto slid sadly from the seat, discouraged beyond words as he walked out the door. Lee gave the woman a disapproving glare before following behind Gaara, who waited for him at the door.

"Its better if we talk at my house." The boy whispered quickly; snatching Gaara's hand, he pulls him toward his home.

...

Lighting a lantern for them to see, Miyamoto sets the thing down atop the shabby coffee table in the center of the disheveled room. He offered them water, taking a seat upon their decline.

The outsiders look about the dimly lit home with smpathetic eyes. The home is a dump! The only thing that could live comfortably in here would be inatimate objects, and even those things are weathered beyond proper use. It made one wonder just what happened in here?

"I'm glad we're alone." His voice is a lot clearer now that he's away from public ears. "My brother was a shinobi just like you guys, its why he was hired as a security guard for the iron factory. Kerai new the factory would be safe from anyone who broke in, with Tetsu on the payroll."

"But why need a shinobi to guard a factory that makes iron?" Lee asks. "Is it pricey stuff to pawn?"

"No. That's why its weird that he would disappear. No one ever attacked the place directly." He shrugged. "Anytime it came under harm was when something else was going on, and it was sort of in the way."

Assessing the situation in my his mind, Gaara asks. "I'm guessing that your brother was a shinobi is why he was killed." Every other word from Kerai's mouth was "shinobi" this or that.

"Not for that reason, but what he could do as a shinobi. His ability wasn't like anybody elses." He shakes his head; the pride in his voice couldn't be mistaken. "My brother could sort of... absorb other ninjas' abilities. It was like nothing you'd ever see!" He added with even more boast. "And he was sure his boss was plotting something because of it. He didn't know why, and one day he didn't come home."

"But from what I hear Kerai doesn't oppose shinobis, he's for them."

"I know. But this isn't about whether he does or doesn't like ninjas, its about the fact that a few months later he started this campaign about wanting his fellow man to become shinobis as well, like he's _making _them."

"Making them how?" Lee asks. "Something like that isn't possible."

"But it is. He's got these stones that make it possible to give a normal human chakra abilities." His mouth sags into a frown. "I'm not sure how, though. But I know my brother's got something to do with it."

"If that's true, then that sicko needs to be stopped, and his operation shut down!" Declared Lee whilst standing from a chair so tattered its nearly three-legged, fist balled in righteous fury.

His hope restored, Miyamoto stands as well; a big smile on his greasy face. "Do you mean it?"

"Absolutely! We'll stop Kerai and expose him for the villain that he is, and see that you get proper justice for your brother."

Over-joyed, the child threw his arms open and wrapped them around Lee's torso.

Gaara watched the enthusiastic pair with exhaustion. They really needn't be nosing around in these peoples affairs; he's not a hardass, he can empathize with the child's pain completely. He has a brother, and knowing a brother's love he can understand the pain of losing it. But to get this involved is risky.

Not only are they breaking and entering in a foreign land, but they could do serious jail time for this. If this is all for nothing, it can cause a rift between Sand and Rain, should Kerai become ruler. And with Leaf's inhabitants being the sole reason for the war at all, it could place them as instigators of uprisings as retaliation for the past war, regardless the summit meetings and aliances made. If they help this boy... they'll have to be invisible to do it.

0 0 0

This was insane. It was beyond insane actually, and yet somehow he was talked into it. Clumps of sand spin around heavy screws that are keeping a ventilation gate in place. The metal gave one scrape of a sound as it slid loose from the building, but did little else to blow their cover as the grate is slid off.

The two move up the wall and into the ventilation shaft; the sand pulled their entrance closed after them.

"Lee, wait." He whispered.

Not knowing the acoustics of the building talking normally could pose as a problem for them. On top of the fact that there could be policemen roaming around to weed out the squatters. So they need to keep a low profile.

"I don't know if that boy is right, but I do know that if this turns out to be nothing... we can't keep his hopes up that we'll be his saviors." He can't see Lee, but he's almost positive those big brows of his are furrowing in disappointment. "We tell him what we've found, then cut our ties."

"But what if he's right? What if we do find his brother?" He's on hands and knees again, beginning to make his way through the airduct. "Do you think a man with enough power to make a mob attack a child in broad daylight, and in a public area, will stop at being found out?"

"_If_ he's right," He crawls after him. "then we'll turn the matter over to the police."

Lee kept his sigh inward, continuing with moving forward. He knows that Gaara cares, and that he wants to help. ...But with the ninja world being so fragile right now, it's hard to care and it's hard not to care. Lee gets it. Everything can be taken the wrong way, so better to stay out of it. But he can't see a child being hurt and not take action. Its just not in him to turn away from someone in need. He'd be like thousands of uncared for children, if not for Maitou Gai coming to him, and showing him a better way.

Remembering this pushed Lee further along, and thankfully he hears Gaara behind him.

The metal duct popped and panged when their weight bent it in, but luckily it wasn't done enough that it alerted anyone of their presence. Hopefully their luck will hold out.

"Stop." Lee commands; he supposed if this were an intimate moment between them, he'd of blushed feeling Gaara's hand brush his rear-end before it rests on the small of his back as the male scoots to sit at his side. But the moment was what it was in the situation, and he went on explaining himself. "There's a drop from here. Should we go down it?"

"I'll go. You keep straight ahead."

"Ummm?" Lee began.

"Is it far?" The sand snaked its way across the gap like a bridge. "That should help. Go up if you get the chance. Tap the sand twice and I'll know to lift you, tap it once if you come across something, I'll join you then."

"Okay."

Though he can't see it, Gaara knows he's just received an almost trademark grin and thumbs up.

"Good luck." Lee says hoping neither of them need it.

And to his own unspoken words of hope for success, Gaara adds after it. "And be careful."

The sheet of sand sinks him slowly down the shaft like an automated platform to the next floor. Lee continues forward, being trailed by a chunk of sand.

The building, no surprise, is empty. From the highest location of the roof, to the lowest floor of the basement. The search and rescue team found no one and nothing suspicious in the closed factory. And meeting up in the same place they had come in, the pair make their escape returning to Miyamoto's home.

...

"Then you didn't look hard enough!" Insists the child through flustered emotions. "Wasn't there even any blood or anything?"

"Nothing. We're sorry." Lee offers.

The boy's face crinkled up before the tears began flooding from his eyes.

The outsiders remain silent watching the boy's pain. What could they do? There simply wasn't anything pointing to foulplay in the factory, nor was there anything incriminating towards Kerai.

"We've done what we said we'd do. We'll be leaving now." Gaara says after the moment seemed not to stop on its own. On his way to the door, he- once again- isn't surprised to hear Lee intending to help out.

"How long ago did your brother go missing?"

"A month." He sniffled.

"Which gave Kerai plenty of time to clean up whatever he may have done."

Cutting into Lee's deduction with his own, Gaara insists. "_If_ he's done anything." Pulling the door open, he turns back to the child and calmly says. "We're sorry about your brother disappearing. But we made a deal about this. Nothing turned up, so we can't help you anymore."

_'We can, you just don't want to.'_ Thinks Lee, giving his lover a very stern look.

"Its late. We need to find an Inn." This he says to Lee before walking out.

Lee spared Miyamoto one last sympathetic look before leaving as well.

The walk to the Inn was in silence: Gaara got them a room. Silent. They went through their nightly routines. Silent. They climb into bed. Silent. Gaara falls asleep. Lee leaves the room, re-dressed, cloaked, and covered by darkness.

...

Commentary: Theshadow911 you're a doll, thank you for your kidness. They still don't know what's wrong with, my doctor wants to chalk it up to stress. I must be flipping out inside because I went from 130 to 98 pounds in a week. I'm not stressed about a thing. But whatever's wrong, I'm doing my best to get better and typing whenever I've got strength to sit up longer than 10 minutes.

Thanks all of you for reading, it means the world to me. And I hope this chapter isn't confusing ^_^ I get battered with massive dizziness sometimes.


	3. A Riddle Wrapped In A Riddle

Lee didn't know where to begin with his questioning. He'd snooped before on a mission he'd once had with Kakashi-sensei, Naruto and the other members of his team; but that was snooping through visuals and listening. Lee doubted anyone would be openly talking about Kerai and his magic chakra stones. So his snooping was going to be investigating.

Lee also took notice to the fact that he couldn't exactly eavesdrop with the water giving away movement, though it's likely any step he took could be passed off as random weather audio. More importantly Lee isn't sure how to approach the subject without sounding like a snooping cop because he'll have to bring up Miyamoto's brother.

_'Guess I should have thought this through.'_ He tapped his index finger to his chin, ready to think but not turn back. _'Maybe I can find where Kerai's place of business is and I'll search the place from there.'_ His fist popped into his palm over his brilliance.

Ducking under the awning of a market he looks round from left to right and ahead to search for someone to ask about the shady man's whereabouts. The small nation of Rain is even more menacing at night. The tall buildings loom over the inhabitants like watchmen keeping you in line, but rather than feeling security from them you steer clear and keep your head down, as the only invited protection you accept is the cover from their shadows.

The Leaf-nin has never seen a place go into complete lockdown just because it's early morning. In Konoha and Sunagakure you can always find something open whether it be a food stand or a small convenience store, but here everything is empty and dark. He moved himself from a building when a pitbull barked its disapproval of his being too close to its home and made for an ally.

An eyeball of floating sand set its sight on Rock Lee's cloaked form on the streets of Amegakure. The Leaf-nin is standing behind a building peering around the corner at a couple of homeless men and a woman who're huddled beneath an awning to shield themselves from the newly opened rain clouds.

Gaara sighed with exasperation before his body dissolved into a cloud of sand that lead a trail to the floating eyeball. "Lee." He lowered his hand from his left eye and reached out towards the addressed.

The peeper stood straight as an arrow from the start he got from Gaara sneaking up on him then speaking so suddenly. Whirling around, he snipped in a low voice. "Don't do that! I had my guard all the way up." Meaning Gaara's quiet tone came in tenfold to him. "For someone who doesn't like to be startled, you sure do enough of it yourself."

"I knew you wouldn't listen to me." Looking over Lee's shoulder at the huddled humans, he asked. "What are you planning?"

"I was going to ask around about Kerai," Lee explained. "I couldn't let Miyamoto down, not after he'd put so much faith in us to help him. Asking people discreetly seems like the best solution."

Walking closer so that Lee has to back up, the Kazekage spies the helpful male's choice of informants. The homeless are perfect to question. They'd have unintentionally sat through more of the prideful elective's rants than anyone in town. Problem was that homeless refugees tend to side with wherever they call home in order to keep meager protection and shelter and security. So they may not be willing to give up information so willingly.

"Are you with me?" Asks Lee with a hopeful expression on his face.

"Yes."

"Then let's go!" Fist in the air he rounds the corner of the building marching casually but intentionally towards the refugees.

The small murmuring crowd silenced their conversation upon seeing the two approach, they weren't speaking about much of anything important but it was almost customary to keep things to yourself in this part of town. It's honestly customary to keep things to yourself in any part of town. These types of cities tend to be like that.

"Excuse me," Lee began taking the city's greeting of the 'stink-eye' in stride. "can any of you fine gentlemen or lady, tell me where I can find the elective Kerai's place of business?" Seeing that none jumped at his question with an answer he went on. "I'd like to inquire after the special stones he's been mentioning."

One of the men, perhaps the dirtiest in the bunch, cleared his throat before using a stick to poke at a rumbling fire that's managing to keep a good crackle in the light sprinkling of rain.

"Unless one of you could tell me a bit about it?" He took a seat on an empty crate beside one of the refugees, an interested look plastered to his face complimented with a palsy lean of his upper body as if the small group often confided things with each other.

The refugees' gazes ogled Lee before they slanted a glance at Gaara, who hid his face well in the shadow of his hood and the darkness of the night.

"Why would you want to know about the stones?" The only female in the group finally replied. She tucked a chunk of her matted hair behind her ear as if to hear him better. "From the looks of it... you're already a shinobi." And she looked from Lee to Gaara and back again.

A calming sigh expelled through the Leaf-nin's nostrils, and looking into the woman's dark eyes he admits in a quiet tone. "I'm curious because, though I'm a shinobi, I am in fact lame. I can only do taijutsu."

A couple of the men laughed, the others offered a sympathetic nod or shaking of their head that it was a shame.

"Do the stones really work?" Lee dove right into questioning, showing off his acting chops as a civilian with a lucky pass as a shinobi but who would still enjoy a life as any other of his fellow comrads. "Have any of you tried them?"

"Nnnope." One of the laughers was quick to answer him. All the others shook their heads as well. "Never had a need to. I fled the land of Sky the moment things went down and they attacked Konoha, been staying here ever since." He waved a hunger-shrunken hand. "Never had a need for battle or a battlefield."

"But I've seen 'em work." Another man comments. "One of the men who works at the shipping yard as a guard got his hands on one. He spent a real fortune getting treatments and such to unleash his chakra naturally, at least that's the way he went about saying it on stage, and next thing you know he's got one going down his throat and he's using water techniques like there's no tomorrow."

"Are they long lasting?" Lee wondered out loud. "Do you know where this man from the shipyard lives?" He looked out into the black of the city as though he'd spot the man right then. But, he's not Neji after all, and he certainly can't use the Byakugan.

"Why would we know that?" Replied the man on the brink of offended. "Just because we're bums doesn't mean we're stalkers too. What would we be doing following respectable men around like hungry puppies?"

"Sounds like a good enough plan, if they'll pay us to leave 'em alone." One of the quieter men spoke, receiving a laugh from the small group.

"I didn't mean to imply anything, I was just wondering."

They all shrugged, not caring either way what their lives are assumed to be like. The laugher eyed Gaara, then nodded in his direction.

"And what's his deal? He lookin' for a stone too?"

"I have no use for a stone, same as any of you."

"Uhh. natural born huh?" He almost seemed to be looking down his dirt smeared nose at the young man.

"Do you know anyone," Lee starts in with his questioning again, steering the conversation back on track and away from throwing insults and elbows. "of your walk of life who've used them?"

"Lucrecia Tachibana, she has one. You've gotta find her though." The woman replied. "I haven't seen her in a while."

"Oh..." Lee quieted to think.

"What does she look like?" Gaara inquired.

The group of refugees audibly thought of the missing woman with a few 'hmms' and 'let's sees'.

The quieter of the men came out with an answer first. "Unless she dyed it, she's got red hair."

"Dark skin." Added another man.

"Her eyes are golden hazel, more yellow than brown." Said the laughing man with a glowing smile on his face as he thought about the woman. He may have had a crush on her at one point or another.

Lee was writing all this down in his little black training book. By the time everyone was done remembering the woman, he was sure he had enough to go on to find her. Standing, Lee thanked the small group and dropped a few ryo into a can that sat before the laughing man. He isn't sure that that's what the can is for, but he saw that it was empty so he just assumed.

"Thanks, son." The man nodded to him.

The two investigators walked back to their Inn with a plan to locate this missing woman in the morning. Now Lee could finally get some sleep.

0 0 0

Naruto was so exhausted that he could barely lift his feet to go home that early morning. He wasn't going to sleep for long before he'd be right back in a different district working on buildings or delivering meals. That job was usually for the kids, but when your arms are worn from hammering it's nice to take a productive break. The worn male's shoulder bumped into the corner of a building.

Yawning, he mumbled. "..'cuse me." Then he fell asleep right there. You'd think the building had sprouted arms and patted his back, after offering a comfortable shoulder for him to lie on. Combine that with soft "shushing" in the exhausted blond's head, how could he not black out? Mouth agape he snored comfortably against his makeshift bed.

Not far away Shikamaru exits a restaurant with Chouji in tow. He just bought the male a rack of ribs, and got a light salad for himself. He really can't eat this early in the morning, but he couldn't deny he needed the refreshment.

"I didn't know they'd be using the electrical equipment this late at night," Chouji quirked an ear to the sound of a buzz-saw going off not far from them.

Shikamaru listened as well. It sounded too low to be an actual saw, slower too. Looking around, he spots an orange and yellow mound pressed into a building a few feet away. With a sigh, he slammed a troubled hand to his forehead. Waving Chouji to join him, he wanders over to the sleeping figure to access the situation a bit further. The option of should I bring him home or wake him to walk there himself hung on Naruto waking up from a simple shaking.

"Come on, Naruto... Let's walk home then get into bed." He shook the deadweight of his friend by the shoulder. "Naruto?" An exasperated sigh was about to escape him when it dawned on Shikamaru that he isn't alone. "Chouji, turn around and I'll help you get Naruto on your back."

"Why do I have to carry him?" Groans the male; rubbing his gut he then exclaimed. "I'm still digesting after dinner slash breakfast."

Blinking, the usually laid-back male shook his head before asking. "What's that got to do with carrying someone?"

"I could pull something."

"The only thing you're trying to pull is a fast-one; now turn around."

Rolling his eyes with a fullblown groan of annoyed discontent, Chouji turns around so he can act as a cart for the sleeping war hero. "Ohhh, hey Sasuke!" He piped when spotting an easy distraction. Moving towards him at warp speed, the bull-dozer came to a hault before the blind male. "Your house is close by... much closer than Naruto's."

Sasuke had a long pause before saying. "Yeah."

"Great! Then you can have a sleepover with Naruto tonight!" Getting behind him, he shoves Sasuke over to the sleeping Naruto, and the disapproving Shikamaru. "You're friends again... Right?"

"Something like that." He crossed his arms listening to the chainsaw cutting lumber. "Why would I want that in my home?"

"Well... because..." Chouji was at a loss. Why would anyone want something like that spending the night. He's never known Naruto to snore in any of the conjoined missions they've been on. The energetic male must be beyond tired for this display. "You're friends." He declared lamely.

Sasuke's thoughtfully annoyed expression is aimed where he knows the two are standing. He couldn't believe he was seriously risking the comforts of his home to the leveling personality that is Naruto, once he wakes up and realizes where he is. It's one thing when Sasuke spent the night over at the loud blond's home. He's enjoyable company! He doesn't waste things he doesn't like to eat. He's mess free. And more importantly, he doesn't snore!

Sasuke does feel kind of sorry for the guy. Even still, he ground his teeth when he says. "Come on."

Chouji cheered himself with a chuckle, and a finger rubbing cheekily under his nose over how clever he is. He may have still had to carry Naruto, but at least it wasn't as far as to the blond's apartment. And with help hoisting him up from Shikamaru, the trio were on their way to the newly built Uchiha manor.

0 0 0

Lee tugged the orange leg warmer up his calf; looking over his shoulder he smiles seeing that Gaara's through with dressing after slipping the single-shouldered vest over his jacket. Curious, the Leaf-nin slipped the Kazekage's clothes on once when he knew Gaara would be in a meeting. They were very confining to say the least. How does Gaara do it? Who knew what he'd be wearing if Gai-sensei hadn't given him this amazing formfitting uniform. Hopefully he wouldn't have chosen anything as drastic as what Gaara's got on.

"Ready to go find, eh..." He paused in thought over the woman's name. Before he could consult with his notes, he overheard Gaara say it. "Yes, Lucrecia Tachibana." Looking over what he's written down he hoped that the woman still looks as described.

"Yes."

Seeing that Gaara continued looking out the window, Lee walked to the door holding it open for them. "You don't have to come with me."

Turning around Gaara walks towards the avenging Leaf-nin.

"Last chance to change your mind, because once you step out this door you've signed up for the long run." Watching the stoic male pass right by him without a second thought he felt a swell of pride. He knew Gaara couldn't let Miyamoto down either.

Following after Gaara he took the lead once they stepped outside. He told the Kazekage to look left while he looked right then the two took to the rooftops in search of the elusive homeless woman. The outsiders know they've got eyes on them, but it can't be helped; besides that, they aren't doing anything against the law. Occassionally Lee or Gaara would hop down onto the street to ask a pedestrian if they've seen the woman, the answers were both fingers pointed and a shrug of the shoulder. Until at last, Gaara came across the woman sitting between two buildings. He wouldn't have had to double-back had she not been rummaging through the garbage can of the eatery beside her. It's just lucky he looked over his shoulder when she popped out.

Landing beside her he grabbed the woman's arm to alert her. Any other person she may simply have turned to see what they wanted because it would undoubtedly be the owner or a worker from the place she's looking for scraps, but upon seeing Gaara's dour face, and depervation-ringed eyes, beyond the hood of the cloak the frightened woman yelped before shooting a fireball at him.

Lucrecia's fear grew when a sheet of sand practically gave her an uppercut to deflect her attack. She attempted to run but the sand grabbed her by the ankle.

"Please relax, I don't want to hurt you." Gaara said calmly returning the sand into his coat pockets. "I need to speak with you." Another fire blast came his way, and once again his sand moving to protect him gave her a fright. Gaara removed the sand that's wrapped itself around her ankle, and continued calmly speaking to her as she fled him. With a sigh, he knew he had little option but to wall them in.

A sheet of sand blocked her exit before moving forward like a wall closing in. Lucrecia screamed and screamed pushing against the wall in attempt to get through it. It was harder than she'd thought. How could sand be so hard. Dense, yes. But hard. It's like reenforced steel!

"I only want to speak to you, about the chakra stones." Gaara explained when the sand has her within ear shot.

Lucrecia breathed a nervous laugh of a sigh then nodded before she fainted to the street.

...

Lee was alerted by a message in the sky that Lucrecia had been found and would be taken back to the Inn. The Leaf-nin hurried back to their rented room to find the woman resting on the couch utterly unconcious. Gaara explained what happened. Lucrecia thankfully did not wake up hysterical, but she'd definitely woken up hungry and is currently working on her second meat-filled pie. Lee couldn't help but recall Miyamoto eating with the same hungry vigor, and thought they should go about questioning the townspeople with snacks and other edibles. It'd certainly save them the trouble of spooking people or having the town clamming up because they're not refugees themselves.

"Thank you for the meal." She said after wiping her hand across the back of her mouth. "I haven't eaten that good in months."

"Why did you attack me? Who did you think I was?" Gaara asked when the woman made eye contact first with Lee then his self.

"Restaurant employee, an officer, _anybody_." With a shrug Lucrecia added. "Can't be too sure in my situation, and then you whip out those fancy tricks." Again she shrugs. "I'm just glad I could defend myself."

"You mean with a fireball?" Lee pipes up when an opening came.

"That's right. I chose fire because of my red hair... You get it?" She then snickered while running a hand through her hair at the side.

"So you get a choice?" Lee was practically drooling over the idea as his mind swam with all the possible ninjitsus he could do. He suddenly could see himself standing along side Neji, and running along with powerful ninjas like Naruto and Sasuke who are practically otherwordly in battle. His dream realized.

"Yeah." Lucrecia replied softly.

"What is it?"

"Nothing bad, I was just thinking it'd be nice to get my hands on some money... The kekkei genkai go deep into pockets. They're not easy to make I guess. But the others you can purchase finding change on the streets. I've even got genjustu abilities." She popped the last bite of pie into her mouth chewing over the swelled cheek with pleasure. "Are you planning on getting one?" She looked from Gaara to Lee, figuring it'd be Lee since Gaara's already proved that he has ninjutsu abilities, an impressive one at that.

"I'd like to know how the stones work... What do I need to do?" Asked the excited Leaf-nin, who was doing his best to keep it down. This was strickly business. He's not in the market for ninjutsu abilities. ...No matter how cool they are. Or how much stronger he could become with just one technique.

"You ingest it." As though her words weren't clear she pointed between her parted lips.

"Ingest?" That didn't sound right. Anytime Lee thought about the stones he imagined surgeries and heal time. Not simply popping one down like a vitamin. "And that's safe?"

"Hasn't hurt anyone as far as I know." Lucrecia looked as though she were thinking on it. Wondering if there was ever a case where someone didn't take well with the stone, but none came to mind.

"Where are they sold?"

"There's a shop about a mile or so from here," her finger is pointed in the general direction. "That's Kerai's place of business. I mean, he's running and all but he still works at the potions shop as manager."

"I heard he worked in an iron factory."

"I suppose he did, back when the factory was thriving, but war took care of that." Nodding in the direction the potion shop is located she concluded her statement. "Any time I've seen him he's been in that potions shop." Again her gaze travels from Lee to Gaara then back. "Seriously, if you've got a couple ryo to spare, you should give it a try."

"How long do they last?"

Lucrecia shrugged her hand. "I've never had a reason to use mine much," shooting an apologetic look at Gaara for earlier, she continued. "Not since today when he came after me with that sand bending have I really gotten to flex my muscle. I guess if you wanna know, you'll have to ask its maker."

"Guess we will." Lee says thoughtfully. "How do they work?"

"You just say an attack command and wallah." She spread her hands as though the elements just flailed about over their heads.

"Do you know who was the first person to receive a stone?" Gaara moved in on the questioning with a very good one.

"No. I'm probably close enough to the last person than the first. But, I do know that anyone with a stone has gone on to fight in the last war. You might have even seen some of them yourselves."

Now that they thought about it, there were a few people out on the battlefield who looked wet-behind-the-ears in their opinion. And though they're sure a great deal lived, they're almost positive a great deal more have died.

"Some people have been whispering about the origins of the stones, but that's only because they've got nothing better to do."

Gaara asked. "And what do you think?"

"I think they're a gift, why question a gift?" She shook her head. "As for where they came from or how they're made you'll have to ask the creator." Standing from the sofa she gave a polite bow. "I've gotta get back to the streets before I get too comfortable in here. I do hope you'll try them for yourselves."

Lee walked her to the door opening it for her, waving a goodbye as Lucrecia walked out.

"That didn't get us very far," Professed the red head. "Are we going to question Kerai personally?"

"I will, but you'll have to stay here. He'll know your face instantly."

"I agree."

"I'll be quick but thorough." He blushed as if he'd heard a dirty joke in there, then laughing it off Lee hurried out of the door.

Gaara thought about tailing Lee with his sand eye then decided instead to go and see Miyamoto. Since it was his brother who'd gone missing, he might also remember the face of the man who'd been the first to help Kerai introduce the chakra stones.

0 0 0

Sasuke ate his breakfast of scrambled eggs and buttered toast with an almost joyous vigor, while across from him Naruto and Suigetsu glared daggers at each other.

"Sasuke," Naruto ground out while keeping an eye on the sword-loving stranger. "wanna tell me why I'm at your house, and why you're ugly friend is staring at me?"

"Ugly?!" Suigetsu balked. "Why you..."

Naruto's milk swirled angrily in the mug, but the blond picked it up and drank it down with a satisfied snigger over the threat of having it splashed in his face, only his being clever didn't really work out too well when the liquid that's gone down his throat tried to rapidly resurface causing him to gag until Suigetsu released his hold of it so Naruto could get it down.

"Grrrr..." Raising his fist to the other to defend or bypass the fist coming his way from his opponent, he can't help but get distracted from the sound of a mug being set down from Sasuke taking a drink.

"It was Shikamaru and Chouji's idea when they found you blacked out on the street." Replied Sasuke calmly.

"And that's another thing, why're _you_ so happy this morning?" His eyes slit sheepishly. "I would have thought you'd be crying from having me spend the night, not to mention make me breakfast." The unwanted guest was practically sniggering when he said. "I never expected you the type to put something in your food."

Seeing that Naruto was suddenly pleased when Sasuke's semi-happy expression sagged a bit, the stoic expression then returned to it's usual place instead. "I'm not happy, I'm satisfied."

Naruto and Suigetsu blinked at the odd confession, first looking curiously at Sasuke before casting a suspicious eye at each other as if the other was to blame for such a loaded reply. But Naruto never once thought anything scandalous was going on between Sasuke and his... friend? Subordinate? Company? Why the hell is this guy here!?

Sasuke let the fools assume what they wanted about his comment. The fact of the matter is that while the human buzz saw snored away he muttered a cloning jutsu and about twelve of the annoying bastards popped up making the snoring that much more pronounced. And it was during that restful slumber of the real Naruto, that Sasuke took up each clone and laid swift vengeance to them in the backyard. It was very satisfying. And he just happened to throw a kick to the real thing which stopped his snoring. To him that was a pretty good night. So he's perplexed as to why his two house guest are in such a foul mood, but he feels fantastic.

"...Anyway..." Naruto says slowly. "I'll be working in the district not far from here today, wanna help? I know you're probably just gonna hang around the house today."

"Sasuke has better things to do than rebuild a town he wants nothing to do with- don't you, Sasuke?" A shark toothed grin flashed itself smugly at knowing what Sasuke wants.

"You don't speak for me Suigetsu." He then wiped his mouth with a napkin, setting it beside his plate once he's done with breakfast. "I actually had planned on helping with the area around here, and you should include yourself if you're planning on staying with me."

Suigetsu blanched. How dare Sasuke just assume he's going to live with him in this foreign land with its foreign people. Is he nuts?! He's just sticking around until something better comes along, because hanging out with that human-cadaver Orochimaru while he rebuilds Sounds' state-of-being doesn't exactly flip him. What was Juugo thinking? He figured he of all people would remain at Sasuke's side, but he went with Orochimaru to help him instead. You think you know a guy.

"Clean these dishes, I'll be back in twenty minutes." Getting up from the table, Sasuke walks with as much confidence as a man who can see somewhere in the spacious home.

"Listen you," Naruto began but stopped when seeing Suigetsu turn his head into a flip-top just to yawn.

And before he could continue with what he was going to say the aquatic stranger liquidized and slid out of the room leaving the annoyed blond to his own devices. Sitting in silence for a moment, Naruto wondered where Sasuke went and then with a knowing smile on his face he made for the male's bathroom. Maybe he could join him for a bath?

0 0 0

Maito Gai whistled while he worked, which wasn't easy with nails protruding past his lips by their tips, they kept falling to the deck below him needing to be picked up again and again. But Gai didn't seem to mind. He's been up since four o'clock and he's still got youthful energy to burn on building homes and businesses, though he could tell that some businesses were attempting to become a little more gurthy than they originally were. Konoha is shaping up to look pretty ritzy if you ask him.

Back-handing the sweat from his forehead, he looks around him seeing familiar faces all around. It's like their great fire nation has become one big family! It's invigorating! How could a person not get wind of seconds and thirds from just looking around them. Even Sasuke's getting in on it. He can see him and Naruto walking down the street with the rogue-ninjas... Friend? Subordinate? Company? Gai's not sure. But it's nice to see more helpers, new faces. Maybe he can have lunch with the youthful trio, since he can't have lunch with Lee. And Neji's been almost a ghost. He must be working hard in whatever district he's chosen. Sometimes Gai wished for eyes that could see in the distance of his pupil. Then he could watch all of them with pride.

"Naruto!?" Gai called down to the passing trio. "How 'bout lunch? My treat!"

Naruto became happy so suddenly that he laughed before waving a hand to the man. "I'll be there!"

Chuckling at the enthusiasm, he adds. "You too Sasuke, and your shark friend!"

Suigetsu's shoulders rose and his head sagged between them, like someone had run their finger up his spine. He didn't like the idea of having a meal with this loud man. Although, it was better than eating in silence with Sasuke.

Gai was curious though, because Lee should have been back by now. Wonder what he could be up to?

0 0 0

Lee stepped into line behind four burly looking men. They've got welts here and there on their exposed arms, he can see the bruises on the backs of one guy's knees. Must be in the shop for some salve after a mission or training session.

The undercover investigator looked around the shop seeing nothing out of the ordinary about it, leaving him to wonder how one would bring up the chakra stones. Does he ask outright? Or is he supposed to whisper to a worker about 'special merchandise' before he's brought in back?

"Thanks Rosario," All four men waved goodbye before exiting the shop.

_'Casual. Casual.'_ He coached himself. Stiffening his back, elevating his head, and puffing out his chest he moves forward to the counter. "Excuse me, I'd like to ask about the chakra stones that Kerai-san mentioned during a demonstration."

The sweet-faced woman behind the counter nodded before waving a plump arm in gesture for him to follow her. The two walked a little ways from the counter over to shelves filled with boxes and pouches.

"How can there be so many?" He asked in awe.

"Oh, those aren't the Living-Stones, those are just food pills for shinobi who can... well..." The clerk seemed almost embarrassed to mention expansion for battle when she's naturally gurthy.

"I know a friend who uses them." He nods.

"We keep the stones back here."

With the push of a button the shelf slid over with a quick whoosh.

"Why hide them?" Lee asked when following the woman through the passage. "I thought they were open to the public?"

"The _paying_ public, even if they're cheap you have to proceed with caution that people could steal and use the stones for no good."

"Paying people could." Informed the Leaf-nin.

It seemed she didn't hear him, because she went on speaking as though she hadn't. "We also don't have many in stock but six at a time."

"Are they that hard to make?"

"Oh very! A lot of hard work goes into it."

"I see." He looks at the four large stones resting in a small decorative wooden box on a soft pillow.

Pointing out each she's describing, she said. "This is water, wind, electricity, and wood."

"Wood!" Lee stared in awe.

"The other two were bought just a little while ago." Leaning the box towards him, her brown hair fell over her shoulder as she does this, she asked. "Which would you like? Unless you'd like to wait until your preference comes in."

"It's hard to decide... Any one of these would be good." Lifting the little red stone with the dark brown smudge inside between his fingers, he twisted and turned it around in his grasp. "So... I swallow it?"

"That's right."

"There's no way of using it otherwise?"

"Well, it has to blend with your body's chakra, so I don't see how it would work without ingestion."

_'Then I can't try it out.'_ Lee's brows sag along with the corners of his mouth. "Has anyone ever tried to... Use it without swallowing I mean?"

"Pretty much everyone who comes in for one. They joke around with them calling out commands... But nothing ever happens." She shrugged a thick hand.

"I see we have another prospective customer." A semi-familiar voice said from behind them.

Spinning around, Lee held his gasp when Kerai walked into the small room. His employee didn't seem alarmed, she even smiled at him.

Unnerved, Lee spat out the firs thing that came to mind. "You're Kerai-san! I've become an admirerer of yours."

The man smiled.

"I'm very curious about them, how they're made."

"I'm afraid that's a trade secret, but if you'd like I can show you one I've been sort of saving for special."

"Oh?" He looks cautiously at the arm that's come around his shoulders.

"People can use multiple stones but, few can acquire every one. In fact I'm very adamant about informing them to only use them two at a time."

"So the effects _do_ wear off."

"In time, if they're frequently used. If you use the abilities sparingly it could last you a lifetime."

"How?" Lee is lead from the room, unable to make full sentences in the man's sudden and overbearing presense. Kerai seemed a lot less intimidating on stage.

"The stone itself bonds with the user, the longer it's with you. I'm afraid not many will get to know this because they're already through four of five of them within a week."

_'They're that safe one could use them up then get some more?'_ It was almost too good to be true! It actually is too good to be true. "Are there any side effect?"

"None whatsoever." Replied the man easily. "I wouldn't distribute them if they could become a problem."

"But you said it yourself, no one has had it with them long enough for it to bond permenantly." Lee shrugged himself free. "How do you know nothing wouldn't happen then?"

"Well, that's where a fine young man like yourself come into the picture."

Confused, Lee quirked a brow in wonder of what the man could possibly be talking about. "How could I possibly help you?"

"I've been wondering about you since I saw you rescue that little boy at the rally yesterday. I've never known someone so skilled with taijutsu that he's able to sort of create his own style of chakra."

_'He must be refering to my senpu...'_ Thinks the male.

"If you will?" Asked the man.

Before Lee could even think that it was coming he's received a swift pop to the head.


	4. A Broken Man Said

Gaara's fist hit the battered wooden door in three sharp raps for the fourth time since arriving at his home. He counted on Miyamoto being home not wandering the streets looking for trouble, as he had yesterday when the boy lucked upon Lee's busybody kindness. But he continued to wait patiently. An unanswered door isn't often lack of inhabitants to open it. It can also be a sleeping or bathing person as well. And his patience paid off when the door finally cracked open, just wide enough for vision to squeeze through to see who was out there. When spotting the emotionally stunted redhead, Miyamoto opened the door like the wooden barrier was pushing him aside to allow company in.

"What happened to your face?" Gaara asked blandly, like a doctor asking for the facts or reading them off for a patient brought in to his operating room.

"I don't know," The boy gave an obvious lie. "I fell." Miyamoto sucked his bruised lip into his mouth.

"You should tell the police if you're not safe in your home." Informed the Kazekage, now standing in the living room, arms crossed and watching the boy close the door and move a chair in front of it. "That's what they're for."

Miyamoto dropped his head with a nod that he at least understood what was being said to him, though Gaara doubted he'd actually do it. Rain truly is a thug's paradise, even so far as harassing children. But, then again, none here have ever really given the police force half a chance; preferring to remain hidden and unacknowledged of their own wrong doings.

"Where's Lee-san?" Still at the front door he looked over his shoulder believing that the chipper male may just have been a few steps away behind the closed door, and was simply overlooked by Miyamoto in his haste to remain hidden within his home.

"Doing research, like myself." He finally took a seat on the less-than-comfortable couch. "Miyamoto, I need to ask you an important question." When the boy sat on a rickety chair at the kitchenette table, he continued. "Your brother is the most precious person in your life; and if you've been speculating about Kerai being part of his disappearance then you must know whom the first person was to have received ninjutsu through a chakra stone?"

Miyamoto wet dry lips. The kid seemed to live in a state of nervousness. Rightfully so, if he doesn't learn to read the situation before opening his mouth to the public about his brother. The young boy'll continue living in a world of hurt by the puffed up egos of the ruined village of Rain. The refugees don't like upstarts when they're trying desperately to hide from the norm. Any attention is unwanted attention. Unless, of course, you're planning on standing up as a leader of the cut-throats. To tame some of the fear walking the streets of a village un-united and behaving as nothing more than castaways in paradise.

But they all yearn for a home and the comforts it provides. Some type of semblance- especially after the war. No one came to Amegakure. No one told the middleman things would be all right when the first strikes hit the lands and borders. Everyone returned to their Nation to confront and solve their own problems. Not play nursemaid to everyone else.

It would be stopped one day. Hopefully soon. It's why the Nation's leaders met up at the summit. To discuss a better means of living. A united way. But here... Here things seemed to be at a stand-still of cruelty and backstabs and a slanted glance. Until either Kerai or his competitor, Shochou, wins favor of the people because there can be no negotiation with the ruleless village.

"Chouji Sawada." Weary was the young boy's nod. "I visit him."

Gaara's eyes widen just a hair. An untrained eye wouldn't have notice the fluctuation in the Kazekage's still expression at all. He honestly didn't think the man would still be in the village. If he was the first to use an untested product there was a chance he'd be dead. Or the failed attempt would be locked away by the researcher that's done him wrong. Possibly even subjected for use over and over again until the product came out right.

"I need for you to take me to him. I'd like to ask him a few questions."

"Will it help you find my brother?"

"I can't be sure. But it's a stepping stone in that direction." Standing, ready for immediate action, he waits for the child to slip into his sandals before leaving the home.

"How can he help?" Miyamoto wondered as he tugged on a cloak peppered with moth holes. It looks very old, and far to big for the child. But he held it around himself almost dearly.

It must have belonged to his brother decided the Kazekage. There were things given to him that he held dearly like that. Bonds made. Maybe Lee wasn't wrong to want to help this boy, regardless the consequences. The poor kid doesn't have power. He doesn't have a mean bone in his body. Now he's flailing for toughness that he just can't muster on his own. Gaara can relate. Only his situation is in reverse. Gaara has power and very cruel bones in his body. It's because of that that he isn't given a chance to properly exhibit his acquired kindness, so he remains in view of someone who'll take brute force first and ignore the fact that he never got what he needed from you later.

Following Miyamoto out of the home, he replied in a low tone. "Sawada may have seen your brother but thought nothing of him at the time. To an outsider, your brother would seem just another researcher or guinea pig."

Miyamoto marveled at that logic. He hadn't even thought of that! In all the months he'd spoken with and taken care of the man he just considered him another poor victim of Kerai's dark behavior and wrong doings. These kind strangers really may do it! He may actually get his brother back!

"It's this way. Come on." His resolve restored, he hurried in secret down the wet streets.

It had either begun raining again or it has never stopped and all those dry pauses are actually super fine mists. But the torrent is coming down now, soaking everything the village has to offer. The young boy was glad for the rain, for a change, because everyone shied away from it by covering themselves and their eyes. It was perfect for them to get to the man's home without suspicion. Undoubtedly word has gotten around that 2 outsiders are asking questions that they have no business asking, and soon, maybe even very soon the higher-ups will get the heavy to show the outsiders the door in a less-than-kind manner, if they didn't leave peacefully.

The pair travelled for another fifteen minutes from Miyamoto's home, and finally reached the backwoods of the small village. This area is close to the main canal that runs the back of the village all the way to the wall of the main gate. The young boy walked hastily up to a home grabbed the knob and allowed himself entrance as though he'd been expected and this wasn't an impromptu visit.

Gaara stepped inside as well; his cool gaze eyeing everything the boy passed as the kid worked swiftly to open windows to allow air in. The man's home is clean, organized. A complete contrast to the heavy smell of urine, and the faint dusty stench of vomit trying to be expunged from the room. But even with the rancid smells circulating the air, Gaara hadn't expected to see the sight before him.

0 0 0

Naruto ate the riblette like it was an ear of corn, he just opened his mouth and spun it in a circle pulling the meat off as it went. His chopsticks would then take aim for a coil of yakisoba set in a boiling pot in the middle of the table.

Gai watched Naruto with pride. He loves sharing meals with his team. And though the blond, Sasuke, and the shark-faced stranger aren't his team, Maitou Gai can still enjoy spending time with fellow shinobi and man.

"So, Suigetsu," the addressed male cocked a brow at Gai, making an indignant sound before returning to his food. But Gai went on with what he wanted to say. "You're from Kirigakure? How'd you end up friends with our Sasuke?"

Suigetsu smugly turned up his nose high enough to raise his chin as well, slanting a sideways look at the largely browed misinformed. "Whoever said I was friends with this guy?" He points beside himself at Sasuke with his thumb.

"Then you work for him?" Gai continued trying to solve the case of the wayward ninja.

Flashing the man a shark toothed grin, he then returned to his meal and muttered around a mouthful of food. "I just find Sasuke interesting. I plan to rebuild the Seven Swordsman group as an army of one" with a cheeky wink he informed any puzzled looks. "Me."

"I see." Replied the sensei, though he doesn't really. What does Sasuke have to do with that?

He supposed it's part of youth culture to not even know your own feelings about something or someone in this case. But he was sure of it. This Suigetsu and Sasuke were certainly friends. Naruto can attest to the fact that Sasuke never hangs out with anyone, even when he wants to. So it stands to reason that this situation is the same.

Slurping down half his bowl of yakisoba, Gai then ate a mouthful of beef cutlets. They all ate in relative but pleasant silence.

Breaking the situation, Suigetsu points his chopsticks at Gai whirling them around in a small circle as he cocks an eye at the man. "So what's with you and that justu-less kid Lee? Hn? Is he your illegitimate son or something?"

"My most precious subordinate is not my son, though you give me a great compliment from the thought."

"Nhn. Than what's with the spooky similarities?"

"Lee's got great taste in mentors." And they all ignored the man's chest puff. "And as you can see he looks nothing like me." As if it had morphed into his hand, the splendid green beast produced a photo from his wallet of Neji, Tenten, and Lee.

Scrutinizing the photo then Gai, the curious male shook his head, sitting back in his seat. "There's no need to be ashamed of it." He shrugged his hand casually.

Gai could only blink at that response. Looking out the large window, he's glad for the distraction of Neji passing through. Grinning from ear to ear he excuses himself and hurries out the door with three sets of eyes on him.

"Neji! Neji!" Called the young man's former team captain.

Neji felt a sense of deja vu. And he could guess what was coming once the man caught up to him. Facing his problem head on, he turned with a simple greeting of "Gai."

"Come have lunch with us." Gifting the male with an award winning grin, he adds. "There's plenty to go around."

"Us?"

"Naruto, Sasuke, and Sasuke's delightfully confused friend Suigetsu."

Looking over to the restaurant pointed out, he declined. "I was just on my way to help stocking shelves at a supplies shop."

"Neji," he placed a hand on the deflectors shoulder. "you can't continue avoiding me. Let's have a meal together some time."

With a thoughtful frown, Neji retorted to the comment with a firm. "I'm not avoiding you. I'm busy. Just as everyone else in town is busy as well."

It was done so gently that the Hyuuga male thought he'd tipped forward from a light put against his back when really he was slowly pulled forward into Maitou Gai's beefy embrace. The awkwardness Neji felt was made worse when the man rested his cheek against the top of his head and nuzzled it there. His ashen eyes looked frantically around in a self aware panic that anyone would see and cruelly point with commentary. He'd never live it down.

"Gai?" He began to protest when the man spoke over him.

"The war wasn't that long ago, Neji. ...You don't know how much the team was hurt, how many tears shed for you. I'll never remember the moment... But I can never forget that feeling of having you gone. By a miracle you're back, and it may come off as same old same old to you but for your teammates and myself it means the world."

Neji could only blink hearing this.

"Even if you have to consider it putting-up-with, can't you give us even a small bit of relief that it's really you there?"

Though it was unseen by the receiver, Neji offered the man a small smile, closing his eyes within the embrace.

"Hhhuu." He huffed, wiping the tears that have begun sliding down his high cheeks he held the youth at arms length, releasing him in order to grin at him with a thumbs up. "I'd better get back before I'm stuck with the bill having eaten less of a portion than my guest."

"Yeah." Replied the male.

"I'll see you tomorrow, maybe we can both work in a shop together." Jolly once more, the youthful man strode away with a bit of pep in his step.

Neji watched after Gai with a small, warm smile returning to his face, even with his hand touched to just one of the many scars left from his death. He should be smiling. And maybe he will set a time to be with Gai.

The foursome's meal gradually broke up when Sasuke informed them of another trip he had to make to the hospital for another of his week by week appointments for ocular surgery. The procedures can be brutal on the nerves making them need days to heal after the smallest amount of work done. Suigetsu followed after his former leader for no reason other than he had nothing else to do. Rebuilding a village that isn't his own isn't really top priority of his.

Naruto stuck around with Gai, helping him with a little hammer and nail job on a nearby building. Watching Sasuke walking confidently through downtown traffic with ease, the happy blond couldn't help but feel the former rogue-ninja doesn't really need his vision back. Sasuke's become almost pleasant to be around. His anger of the past humbled to a simmer because of open arms and forgiveness of his fellow village, that once had him marked in the famed Bingo Book. Even when he and Naruto are fighting! He can feel the difference. Sasuke doesn't have the usual pompus cruelty as he had as a kid, when he decided making Naruto feel small was the greatest way to insult him. The hyperactive male prefers a nice friendly jab now and then, not near loathing.

There's also a very good chance Sasuke's been hit on the head too many times.

With a smile on his scarred face, he thought to himself. _'I should invite him to dinner for letting me stay over at his place.'_ His smile turned into a full on grin thinking about the look on Sasuke's face when he asks him. _'Ee hee hee... Hunh?'_ Sasuke suddenly vanished, but not in a ninja-esque clap of smoke or stealthy speedy jump. He was jerked sideways by an unseen assault. _'Wonder what's going on with that?'_

Suigetsu didn't notice Sasuke's abduction as he was staring at the sky, arms behind his head as he walked at a bored lean. The male looked around confused, then began peeking into buildings to locate where he'd so hurriedly gone off to.

"Naruto!" Gai called to him for another handful of nails.

Saluting, he reached into the nails bucket handing some to Gai.

Meanwhile, over where Sasuke had vanished, the bluenet is being jerked into a dark corner of the village into a small home that still needed repairs so it remained uninhabited.

Hissing, Sasuke snapped. "Kakashi? What's the reason for this?"

He sensed no danger, so then why was he jerked off course by this near pervert? Because wouldn't Kakashi have to be labeled that when he'll read racey books out on the streets, and around underaged students? And that hand in his pocket has got to be up to no good. Sasuke can't forget what he read from a purple book that had been left on the bench at a restaurant, when Kakashi went to use the restroom. Naruto seemed all in to look at what was beyond the covers of the book. It successfully ended with them having a hard time meeting women's eyes for a week! So the former Leaf-ninja can only imagine how much worse this man's perversions have gotten over the years as he tried not to let his imagination run away on him.

"I've been doing some thinking," Kakashi began.

"Later. I have an appointment." He turned to leave but was detained. Sighing in aggitation, he shot an annoyed look over his shoulder. "_What_?"

"I figured since your surgeries have been going so well, I can give you a treat."

Intruiged, he turned to face the man. "What is it?"

He crossed his arms expecting a box filled with something useless, like books he can't read yet, to come his way or a sentimental something or another from their sordid past as team 7. But what he hadn't expected was what Kakashi said next, as he stared at the blue chakra ghost that people have become since he'd lost his vision.

"Well, there it was, the mystery you kids have been after since you were genin." With a laugh his voice began to fade in his departure. "It's actually a relief to finally show someone other than Gai. Don't tell anybody." Removing a little dark blue book from the secret pocket in his yukata, Kakashi waved a hand to the male. "Don't be late for your appointment, Sasuke."

"Wha-.. wait, Kakashi!?" There was no way?! There was just no way... He showed him his face!

0 0 0

Chouji Sawada looked at Gaara with wide sunken eyes. For a moment the pair simply took each other in; one with unblinking eyes that looked as though the skin was stretched too thin to go over the opening of his eye sockets anymore. At least, that's how it seemed. The other is blinking, but his expression is so blank and his eyes so drilling, he could just as easily not be blinking either. Sawada's a bag of wrinkles, each wrinkle was deep enough to house a sink's worth of water. And he looked as though he hasn't had a decent meal in his life with the way his bones are countable through his creased skin.

Gaara wondered if this elderly man were old at all? Kneeling, while watched by the man he'd approached, he placed his hand up to the man's dry parted lips. His breathes are steady and even. Looking over his shoulder, the Kazekage sees a half eaten sandwich set on the wooden coffee table peppered with holes. The sandwich looked somewhat fresh, maybe prepared earlier in the day.

Seeing Gaara's gaze on the man's lunch, Miyamoto explained. "I made it for him for breakfast. Sometimes he has a hard time eating."

"The stone did this?" Gaara inquired, taking his eyes from the near corpse of a man to set them upon the little boy.

Nodding, Miyamoto left the living room area and returned shortly with a glass of water, and he helped the man drink it. Gaara assisted him by elevating Sawada from his laying position. Though he choked on the first gulp, the man chugged the liquid like he'd been dying for it for weeks.

"Kerai doesn't know that Sawada still lives here... that, or he doesn't care." His bony shoulder gave a shrug. "Sawada-san can't move barely an inch on his own, so it's not like he could help me rally against Kerai's dark deed... But, I don't know... Maybe the people of the village wouldn't really listen to me about my brother, even if they saw what happened to him." He nodded at Sawada's poor condition.

"How old is he?" Not bothering to ask the man himself, because it's better that he not waste his energy answering his trivial questions if Miyamoto would know. Better Sawada save it for where it's needed. "Do you know?"

Miyamoto shook his head. "I know he's not an old man, when he was first showed off by Kerai as a user of the chakra stones, he looked around twenty something."

_'The stones have done this much damage in only a few months?'_ Thought Gaara amazed. If only he had a doctor to look the man over, he could better tell him the extent of the damage done. But that doesn't explain how others have taken to them without a problem, but this man has become a shrunken head.

"Sssa... saa... Sit me... u.." The man wheezed.

Uncertain if that was a good idea, Gaara helped the man to sit up as he requested. "Can you speak? I'd like to ask you a few questions about the chakra stones."

Sawada's head swayed like he were drunk and trying to hear where the voice was coming from. "A bi.." He wheezed.

"I'm used to hearing him talk this way, want me to translate?" Miyamoto jumped in, figuring Gaara would become impatient with Sawada just as easily as he'd become impatient with him.

"I can understand him." Looking at the man, Gaara asked. "How did you come across the stone? Did you ask for it?"

Sawada shook his head. "I used..." He waited for his wind to return then continued. "the iron fact...ry." A dry cough left the man, and with help from Miyamoto he drank some more water. "I melted iron." He said clearer than anything else.

"If you worked at the factory, then you may have seen Miyamoto's older brother Tetsu...?" He looked to Miyamoto.

"Kino Tetsu."

Sawada thought it over. He was quiet for a long while. Gaara sincerely thought the man had passed away just like that. Then quietly, in a thin but steady voice he replied. "I worked along side two other men, who one day asked me to follow them into the boiler room."

Sawada can never forget that day. Even now, it still haunts him.

The two other workers walked ahead of Sawada, exchanging glances with each other along the trip and looking over their shoulder to see if Sawada were still behind them. He didn't seem nervous or even a little suspicious in any way as to why he was asked to follow along with them for reasons no more known or clear than "come this way". He's never seen this area of the factory. Never had a need to go beyond where he's stationed to work. Down and down they went below the factory, passing door after door. It made no sense to have so many floors beneath the factory. Sawada wondered what lay beyond those doors, as they finally reached the last step where his colleagues paused at a solid metal door opening it before gesturing him inside.

The last thing he remembered was seeing Kerai's thoughtful face. Then his body went berserk! He'd spouted off fire attacks into a thin sheet steal wall, burning himself badly when trying to phsycally smash through it. His bones ached before they separated from the ligements and tore through his skin ready to fire. His bones shot out of him and into anything they came in contact with! Weird marks crawled all over him searing at his insides. He had a moment where painful memories filled his head, but physically, he felt fine, only to have his memories fade away into nothingness as the pain engulfed him so completely all he could do was scream. Then the swelling started. But Sawada just closed his eyes and waited to explode, because it was surely the only time the pain was going to end.

"Kekkei Genkai... For now, we'll mark it as a failed attempt." Keria said through the man's shotty hearing. "But we'll keep trying."

Sawada's memories faded back to the past where they needed to stay, and rejoining his house guest in the present, he spoke again.

"When I awoke, I was in the hospital. A woman I've never met told me she was going to take care of me, and for a month she did. I wasn't sick that I knew of, but I could feel something was wrong with me. Then one evening we went for a walk and I got attacked." He swallowed over a dry throat, drinking the offered water. "I don't know what came over me, I've never been able to do ninjutsu before, but all sorts of things came out of me. I was so scared, I wanted no part of it."

Gaara nodded to show he understood.

"Kerai sought me out, and told me he could reverse the effects of the stone but only if I helped him with a demonstration first. I agreed, and before a crowd of people I showed them ninjutsu and genjustu... When it was over, I asked that he do as he promised but he sent me away where I was roughed up violently enough to be killed. But I didn't die, instead I woke up in a pile of trash outside of the canal. Only this area was where they dump and burn the refuge. It might have been the walled off area where the cesspool is."

"And your health's been deteriorating since then?" Wondered Gaara, receiving a nod in response. "This lab, do you think it's still under the iron factory?" Gaara asked out of concern that Kerai may have moved his base of opperation if he thought that Sawada had lived through the extermination order he gave to his men.

"It might be."

"Then that's where we'll go next." Looking at Miyamoto, he tells him to stay with the man since he lives as a ghost. "I'll tell you what I've found once Lee and I get back."

"Okay."

Leaving, he recalled that Lee was going to the potion shop where Kerai works. He hoped the male hasn't gotten into any trouble by asking questions.

0 0 0

"1,002... 1,003... 1,004. 1,005.." Lee counted. "1,00-... If I can't do 2,017 one-armed handstand push-ups before that butterfly flies to that training post..." He grunts as he moves up and down, exhaustion taking his voice as he moves and speaks full sentences at the same time. "Then I'll do 3,277 backflips over that ribbon marked branch in the t-... tree behind me... Rrr.." Tired, he tilts his head up to see where the butterfly is. The little bright yellow flutter is taking a break on a tiny white flower. Grinning, he gives the insect a thumbs up. "You're too kind!" Upping his speed, Lee worked to the completion of his training.

Resting in a kneel, Lee looked up at the branch he'd earlier thrown a kunai into when he was practicing his speed throwing. The sun is still out, though it's late evening. He can stand for a little more training. Walking over to the tree, he then began his backflips; and it went fine, at first, then he popped his head against the kunai marked branch landing painfully on his stomach.

A deep frown creased upon his face, and he rest his head against folded arms and just stared out at the field before him. Empty. No sound except for trickles of disembodied conversation drifting by from inside of town. That sound would soon turn into the chirp of bugs and the throat clearing frogs, playing like a soundtrack behind Lee's training.

Tears welled the corners of his eyes, though they remain unfallen. _'Once... Just once I'd like to hear someone else out here, hard at work for their battles too.'_ A sigh escaped his nose, and he closed his eyes to rest the lump on his head a moment. _'I wonder what it would be like not to worry?'_

The shinobis participating in the Chunin exams must be tough. Everyone wants that rank to change. Ninjas don't seek out being a Genin forever. It's unheard of! But each year these exams happen, he's left to wonder how much stronger he'll have to be, what more he'll have to do or be prepared for the participants? None of which are like hisself. And each year he wonders, just for a moment, in his quiet alone times, which one will be his last? Someone will come along with a 'No mercy' state of mind, and then what? Would someone step in for him? How many times could that happen before eventually the higher ups want to see him alone for a long speech on how he's just not cut out to do be a ninja.

Teeth bared, he pushes up from the ground. Ready to continue. Done with pity. He's splendid in personality. Strong in spirit. And a beast in battle. Rock Lee has no time for straying from his ninja way of showing everyone that genius hard work is effective too to become a respectable ninja.

There were other times when he felt his nerves on the brink of defeat. But they weren't always during training. Sometimes the team would be sharing a meal with their sensei, Maitou Gai, and they'd be telling stories. It was after a particularly hard battle on a mission he'd gone on with Naruto and his fractured team. A powerful ninja named Gitai.

It wasn't the battle that was the biggest trouble. It was the taunting during the battle that had Lee shaken up days after. The monster mocked and insulted him. He was in utter disbelief that anyone could seriously come after him without Ninjutsu or Genjutsu skills. That he was simply a child playing ninja warrior. It's the same thing every time he battles anyone. You would think he'd become immuned to it by now, but he can't. It's like you're trying to heal a cut that's continually getting cut deeper. Sewn closed on the outside, but a chasm on the inside.

Lee had believed that he must have been hit on the head pretty hard during that battle, because he doesn't even remember how he'd beaten the guy! The Chunin either unleashed extraordinary powers that he didn't even know about, or he was knocked out and someone stepped in for him.

But, no. He certainly remembered shutting the man up with his own strength. He also remembered a horrible mediciney taste in his mouth. It was like liqour it was so strong. And though he was proud to tell the tale of his heroics to his team and hear their stories in return, at the back of his mind the green beast was reminded that his inner strength would someday kill him. Where other's simply give a command, weave signs and _viola_ they're masterpieces in motion. He has to give up pieces of his life force.

There's always kind words sent his way for a job well done. And he accepts and loves each one tenderly. But sometimes he feels they might be baised opinions. That was until his relationship with Gaara began. The emotionally changing Kazekage called _him_ the masterpiece in motion. That he doesn't doubt Lee's skills as a ninja when he'd defeated him so many years ago in the Chunin exams. Gaara's since grown stronger and gotten better in hand to hand combat with Lee's help and a resident of Sunagakure named Shira. But the point Gaara wanted to make is that, at the time, he had no respect or care for human lives.

And for Lee to have beaten him when he had a state of mind that wanted the death of every living creature, he would always be seen as someone to admire and fear. Gaara had tried to kill him afterwards, because at the time Gaara had met his match. And to avoid round 2 with someone who'll stand even when they're in a technical coma, it was better to get him when he was down.

Lee isn't hell bent on boasting, or being stronger than anyone else. He simply wants to be counted before he's made to prove himself to the non-believers that he _should_ be counted. A Respectable Ninja. But even with his ninja way... He sometimes wonders.

"Wakey... Wakey..."

A voice called through the haze of his mind. Lee groaned having to use a great deal of force to pry open lids that were fine in the closed position. He felt a light smack to his cheek before he's able to alert himself enough to open his eyes, keep them that way, and look around.

"Huh? Where am I?" Seeing the elective grinning viciously in his face, Lee glared with just as much conviction. "Kerai... Where have you taken me? Why can't I move?" Looking around him he sees sterling silver walls, all kinds of strange machines for heating, melting, and sculpting shapes into iron go semi-identified by the abducted male. But the strangest looking thing in the room is a large dome full of clear pink water. It looked like extremely diluted blood.

"You've intriuged me, young man. Ever since I saw you out there during one of my demonstration. Such an extraordinary physique you have," Kerai ran his hand along Lee's arm, giving it light squeezes. "Yes, I believe you'll do nicely."

"What are you gonna do to me?" Lee asked with confusion lacing his voice. Whatever it was, he wasn't going to just sit still and wait for it to be done, and with a some effort he broke the restraint on his right arm, then the left.

The ninjas breathing has become labored just from expending that small bit of force needed to release himself from the cold metal table. He took a swing at the man who dodged it with ease since the punch was sloppily thrown. The Leaf-nin clearly has double vision, his gaze isn't lined with his head when looking at his target.

"It's not what I'm _going_ to do to you, it's what I've _already done_." Replied the man with a snicker.

Grabbing Lee by the hair, he smiled at him. The young man's large eyes flickered back and forth trying to steady either his captor or the room, it was hard to say, but when Lee's cheeks puffed up and he looked on the verge to vomit the man threw him aside to the floor.

"Make sure you properly strap him down, it's time for phase two."

A few beefy men charged the swaying teen grabbing him up by the arms and legs to strap him down to a chair. Lee kicked and flailed, and just when he was about to unleash a whirlwind one of the thugs slugged him with a brass knuckle made of stone.

The next time Lee woke up he was being dunked into a large tank of water for the tenth time. Coughing and spluttering the green liquid, he hazily looked around the room. 2 of the four men who'd grabbed him are standing by the exit, a few feet from them is a man with his hand latched to a lever that's attached to the machine that's currently dunking Lee in and out of the tank. He didn't see him in the room before. The other two thugs are nowhere in sight.

_**"You are my weapon..."**_ Keria was saying over a loudspeaker. _**"You will do as I say."**_

"Whaa..?" Lee is dunked again before he could finish his sentence.

He can still hear the man's voice reverberating through the thick water in the tank and into his skull, as he struggled to get the latches from his wrist, legs, and waist. But the dunk-tank treatment has got him half drowned and drained.

_**"The world is nothing without the art of ninjutsu."**_ Kerai continued. _**"You will prove that by exhibition... By destruction..."**_

What was this lunatic going on about? Was he saying he wanted Lee to attack people in order to show them that humans born without chakra can become ninjas, _need_ to be ninjas in order to avoid being assaulted by them? That's sick! Does he seriously believe that Lee will just start attacking innocent people under someone's order? Is that what this is all about? This man wants warriors of gratitude, fighting a fight they won't be ready for against hardened true ninjas who won't hesitate to put them down as they fumble through battle.

That explains why anyone would want to create such a strange stone, to generously shell it out at a cheap price to anyone who'll take it. And to think that for a moment, even he was one of them. Thinking he could sneak it from Gaara and his teammates and friends to use. A false sort of growth.

"Gwaaahhh!" He's dropped into the pool of liquid once again.

0 0 0

"Excuse me," Gaara entered the potion shop, not greeting the smile that was offered to him with one in return. "Have you seen a young man in here, with generous eyebrows and a bob haircut?" He looked at the woman dead in the eye, daring her to lie to him that she hasn't seen Lee. "He has a very proper way of speaking."

"I'm sorry, but no one like that has come in here." Her bright smile didn't wan, but her eyes looked momentarily relieved that she'd gotten her words out without fail.

"You're lying." There was a dull _hiss_ playing through the silence that's befallen the room from the sand in his pockets coming to life.

"I'm not!" Insisted the woman with a waving of her hands, and dramatic shaking of her head.

"Had you said he'd just left I wouldn't have needed to use force." Explained Gaara; the sand from his coat pockets is slithering across the floor like tentacles lapping and slapping and seeking something to latch on to, that woman's throat would do nicely. Not to harm, just to frighten.

Seeing the pointed spears aimed her way, she cowered behind the desk, using her arms as an inaffective shield while shrieking. In a panic she blurted out. "I didn't mean to lie! He was here! But he left," Peeking an eye open she snapped it shut once again when seeing the tentacle dangling above her head. "I don't know where he is, but, Kerai-san is with him. They could be in the stone making factory!"

The room went silent. Slowly, the woman raised her head from under her arms seeing that the violent stranger has gone. Shrinking in on herself she began to weep with relief. Damned ninjas.

x x x

Gaara sailed over the village, invisible to onlookers, while swathed in a heap of sand as he made for the iron factory. He already knew where Lee was the moment the woman lied to him; and the likelihood of steadfast ninja being out just to pick up lunch was unlikely. If Lee'd gone back to the Inn he would know as he'd left his sand eye there as a guard to keep watch for him. It dissolved away when he went on the move for the factory.

Getting involved was a bad idea, and where he wants to help out the young boy, he certainly didn't want it at the price of something irreversible happening to Lee. He pushed himself to go faster and faster still. He could be worried for nothing, but why take the chance?

The Kazekage slammed an extension of his fist made of heavily packed sand, in the shape of his hand, into the large metal doors. At this point who needed discretion? No one was there to greet him at the front door, that much he'd expected. Where he needs to be is the lower labs where Chouji Sawada spoke of. Spotting a small door to his left and another at his right, he and a clone darted off for them.

Down in the catacombs of the factory things are coming to a nice end for Kerai and his intention to brainwash the Leaf-nin. The seat Rock Lee is bound to has been lowered to the floor, and he's freed from his shackles, and with the only things that kept his slumped form seated removed he fell hard onto the even harder floor.

A grin curled Kerai's lips as he watched the video feed from a safe place in the factory. The odds of him going berserk as that bumbling Sawada had are very likely and in order by around to carry out his plans, he had to take care with his self-preservations. But his triumphant expression was short lived when the building intercom crackled to life and one of his men, in a very panicked voice, came shouting through the line.

"Sir! Someone's broken into the la..." His scream was the last human thing the elective heard as a strange sizzling sound replaced him.

Kerai was about to look into the matter when he noticed that the Leaf ninja was getting up. Now was not the time to be wandering around should that young man get out of that room.

"_Sabaku Shigure_!" Ground the Kazekage, balling his hands up to signal for the attack to strike.

Four scientist look up as shards of sand rained down on them with intent to slaughter the men with the conviction it once held in the Kage's former lifestyle. Instead of pounding the men's heads in, it just beat down on them hard enough to thoroughly knock them out. Naruto would smile on his lack of criminal behavior, because deep down Gaara truly wants for these men to meet their end, but to be fair, it's only if anything has happened to Lee. For all he knows Kerai was glad to share his secrets and intentions with the curious young man. And the two are actually chatting politely about it over tea and dango. Yeah right.

Bursting through another door, he can sense his clone is doing much of the same.

The sand clone, however, isn't being as humane as his creator. His goal was to locate and extract Lee from harm and it intended to do it. Any obstacle or person in the way would be gone though. Spotting a man securing a door with a bomb-tag, he grabbed the man's bony ankle and swung him into a wall then slung him across the room, releasing his hold. A Shukaku-style claw pressed into the tag disarming it by simply arming it.

Gaara heard the explosion from his end, and looking over the shoulder of the man he's strong-arming. He figures there's no sense in questioning him any further, since the real fight was going on on the otherside of the factory. Bopping him over the head, he dropped the man to the steel floor then burst through wall after wall to meet up with his clone.

Kerai watched the feed with amused curiosity, because during the one man raid the elective watched his test-subject demolish his well trained guards and one scientist with ease. No attack seemed to phase him as he zipped about the room assaulting them with taijutsu that's backed up with ninjutsu. It was like fireworks were going off with the flashes of lightning, fire, and chilling kekkei genkai of ice. The young man actually seemed to be attacking against his will, and simply reaching out for help. But his body is holding. Unlike that simpering pile of waste, Chouji Sawada. The man's body bloated and deformed. He almost seemed like a bomb ready to explode. It would have been funny if the experiment wasn't such a failure.

The little over-achiever was even conjuring wood attacks through the concrete! Who would have thought that such a fine specimen would just land on his doorstep like this? All those stone guzzling monkeys out there are merely kindling for the fire, a sort of _back-up_ to the breadwinner; and a nice distraction for anyone coming in on the front lines.

Kerai supposed he owed that little mouse a bit of gratitude for running his mouth all the time. Because now he has a body that can handle the brunt of masterpiece. A body where it can grow and thrive... _live_ as it was meant to. And with the young man under his control, listening to his every word... The destructive force will be monumental.

So let the Big Bad Sand Wolf huff and puff all he likes. The damage is done. And when the doors to the main lab burst open with enough force to throw them against the back wall about 70 feet away, he was glad for the front row seat. His weapons companion is one strong shinobi. This should an interesting test.

...

Commentary: I wanna thank you all for reading and reviewing or even favoriting or following this with alerts. You're the beeest! Ahaha. I'm in a silly mood, sorry for that. But I've been having a pretty bad week with all the usual nonsense from whatever the hell's wrong with me. But I'm feeling pretty ok now, so work work work on the story. Try as I might this'll probably be over after this chapter. But I don't know until I start typing it.

To Reader thanks for telling me that. I always wondered if those little dots bugged anyone aside from me. There should be more but when you stick them in they shrink to 3 dots. So I used (Xs) instead.


	5. Let's Not Panic

Naruto couldn't believe that he'd been ordered home to bathe! So he'd sent out fifty clones to help with the repair work, who knew that when they came back the blood, tears, and sweat... mostly the sweat, would come along with them? But did Kakashi really have to do it in front of everyone like that? He'd been enjoying a replenishing bowl of ramen with Chouji, Ino, and Tenten, and Kiba when the masked Hokage-in-running popped his head in with his nose poked out giving the air a hefty sniffing.

"Just when I was beginning to think a septic tank had burst." Harsh. "But it turns out it's just you, Naruto." Double harsh. "Go home and take a bath, and that's an order."

The whole shop erupted with laughter. He couldn't even smooth talk his way out of it, he was snatched up by the scruff of the collar and thrust from the restaurant. Does anyone ever comment on the more than manly smell coming from Maito Gai or Rock Lee? They train all the time, and smell less than rosy when they're done. But he supposed that they didn't decide on a meal before hitting the showers after training. So maybe Kakashi had a point.

Sinking down in the tub, he blew some bubbles with his mouth. Dulled by boredom eyes look over the skim of the water at his knees. There are so many scars there. He actually has a lot of scars everywhere. ...This was why he hated being inactive. The war was still very fresh in his mind. The battles and how they'd stretched on embedded in his memories for the rest of his life. Such strong shinobi's one after the other, gunning for dominance that they even began to attack each other. It was horrifying and traumatizing.

Naruto was sure he never wanted to experience anything such as that again. He was good for now. Filled to the max. It'd be ok with him if the way of the ninja found another way. But he knew that could never be the case. War breeds more war, no matter how long of a stretch there is between it. But he can cheer up; sitting up straight against the back of the tub he grinned. That's right! There would be a stretch between whatever the next big thing will be. And in between that time things are going to be pretty good. He can rebuild severed friendships with people. He can try new ramen ideas from Ichiraku. He can get that second story he's always wanted.

"Yay!" He leaned back comfortably as that dream busied up the frightened spaces in his mind. "Kage bunshin no jutsu." He said calmly.

A clone popped out and grabbed a towel to wrap around its waist. Leaving the bathroom it went into the kitchen and grabbed a small carton of milk bringing it back to Naruto in the tub.

"Thank you." He took the carton before dispelling the clone.

Opening the carton, he took a long drink from it, then set it down on the rim of the tub. It took a moment to balance it properly, then he realized he'd have to hold onto it if it were set there and he instead moved it to sit on on the windowsill. Maybe he needed this break after all. He has been working really hard since the war ended.

"Better get out soon," Naruto splashed his hand through the water. "Water's turning cold."

A knock on the door caught his attention, and out popped the same clone- towel and all- to go see who's at the door. He muttered to himself about clone abuse when passing through the small home. Pulling open the door he was surprised by the visitor.

"Neji?"

Noticing right away it was a clone, the visitor spoke to it anyway. "Have you heard anything from Lee or Gaara recently?"

"Mm? Gejimayu and browless?"

"Lee was supposed to be back in Konoha by mid-day, the evening is approaching and no one's heard from him or seen him all day."

"Maybe he stayed over with Gaara," smirked the clone with his pinky up, giving it a wriggling back and forth for suggestion.

Narrowing his eyes, he brushed past the clone. "If he were staying over he'd of given notice. Where's Naruto?"

"In the tub." The clone replied, with the accusing pinky now digging wax from his ear. "Taking a bath."

Marching through the house he opened the bathroom door, not at all surprised when blond leaped out of his skin assuming whomever was at the door wouldn't come in once the clone passed the message on.

"Ne- Ne-" He stuttered as he reached for a towel not there; deciding instead to cup himself, he finished his sentence. "Neji!? What are you doing here?"

"I came to ask if you've heard anything from Lee or Gaara recently?" Neji didn't care whether Naruto was fully dressed, submerged in water, or the nude he is now. His interest lay elsewhere and he wasn't a voyuer. "He was supposed to be here by now, but it's getting late and no one's heard a thing from either saying otherwise."

Still embarrassed, he relaxed his frazzled state when taking in what Neji said. "Maybe Lee stayed in Suna?"

"He would have said something, at least to Gai."

Neji didn't need to say _especially_ to Gai, not when everyone knows the pairs bond has grown since Lee nearly witnessed his mentor's death. Not even Naruto had been there when Jiraiya had met his end. He could imagine the hyperactive-ninja would be irreparably damaged by something so tragic.

A frown marred Naruto's face, having close to the same thoughts as Neji on the matter. "Was there anything in his last letter that might say where they could have stopped. Maybe they got distracted by something, or each other. Couples do that you know." Uncovered, he walked casually past a suddenly flustered Neji. Flustered, by Naruto's implication that he's never 'coupled' before.

"I didn't think to look." And he hadn't. Lee says a lot of things in his letter, he mostly skims through them. He'll be sure to check once he's at home.

"Oh! Wait!" Naruto emerged from his bedroom fully-clothed and holding the last letter sent by Lee. "I remember, he said they were going to Tea for a light snack. They could still be there if you're going to check."

"Thanks. It's a place to start." Replied Neji. "Can you tell Gai I've gone to look, if you see him?"

Nodding, he gave his friend some assurance. "Hope it's for nothing. See ya."

Neji nodded to the assurance and the departing words before walking out. He heard Naruto chastising the clone for taking the one clean towel from him before he dashed off.

Hyuga Neji had to force himself to worry. He honestly did. He's never once worried about a single member of his team, knowing they're beyond capable of taking care of themselves should something come up. Would he help them out if the situation got out of hand, no question. But he never worried. And he held pride in that knowledge. That fact. So going all the way out to Tea Country in order to check on Rock Lee's whereabouts for his former sensei, was something he had to catalogue as just that. Something he's doing for his sensei's worries. But still... There was that deep down feeling that something was wrong. Lee is punctual. Always. And if he'd made other plans, he'd let you know about it. So either the messenger bird was apprehended or Lee was.

"Ready to go?" Tenten asked her fellow Jounin when appearing at the front gate, travel-pack on and light gear inside.

She's worried about their teammate. And is not about to have the same conclusion as Neji that Lee is perfectly fine, and sipping tea with the Kazekage having simply lost track of time. Lee can be absent-minded when it comes to his own troubles. He's left the hospital prematurely more times than she can count. He's trained when he's been strictly ordered bed rest. And don't get her started on being sick. Lee was notorious for acting like nothing's wrong. So if things were all right they'd full-well know about it.

"Yeah, we need to be qui-.."

"Wait!" Came Gai's voice behind the pair.

Turning slightly around, Neji spoke to the man approaching them. "You can't come with us, Gai. You're retired."

Hurtful words, but very true. Since losing part of his leg and recovering from near-death, the man wasn't even asked to "Take it easy", he simply took it when needed. Thankfully the medical teams were on-the-ball with healing the injured, and the hospitals in neighboring villages took them all in while Konoha's hospital building was being reconstructed. Gai was laid up for a long time, giving him even longer to think whenever his sobbing then chipper, then sobbing precious pupil came in for visits. His days of youth had to be shelved, it was time to retire and pass the torch. Though his mind still remained vibrant and sharp, his body wasn't. He'd actually been on his way home from the work he'd done today, but seeing Neji and Tenten he had to speak to them.

"No. I only wanted to ask that you bring someone with you. Kurenai, or Shizune... Lee might be hurt."

"Gai-sensei," sighed the kunoichi. "I've got medical supplies, and even if something had happened to Lee, he's with Gaara. I'm sure he'll have protection." Funny she could say that to her former sensei but she couldn't quite convince herself of it. Not yet.

"Tenten and I are both Jounin, and I've been on more S-rank missions than there are leaves in on the ground during Fall. We can handle whatever happens."

Gai couldn't deny the truth of that statement. Neji is a genius after all. But Neji was also taken away from them during battle, and he, Maito Gai, had almost joined him- even having had back-up. No, it's better he believe in the best. The war is over. Peace has come to the land of the shinobi.

"Good luck." Said the man reluctantly.

Both gave him an assuring nod before they disappeared.

x x x

Gaara watched Lee carefully once stepping into the spacious room beyond the bashed open doors; he expected more machinery to be here, not just along the walls. Aside from the large dome in the center of the room holding what looks like diluted blood. The Kazekage also expected there to be a cluster of lab coats milling about. There were men in lab coats alright, along with the soldiers sent in to defend the scientist. They're taking up more space in the room than the means to make such a powerful gem. All of them felled by Lee.

The sea foam gaze travelled up Lee's body; the chakra flowing inside of the Leaf-nin was massive, it's seeping from his pores in a black mist that looks like small tentacles wriggling about the space around his body. He was volatile, the slightest breeze would cause the Leaf-nin to burst.

_'Damn, Kerai.'_ Gaara glowered, sliding his gaze to the camera that's undoubtedly watching them. Studying them. Lee to be more precise. _'I have to knock him out.'_ Is the Kazekage's plan of action.

It seemed the only way to gain control over the situation without killing Lee- not that that was even an option. But it would be tricky. He's proved time and again even when knocked out Rock Lee will fight. And Gaara can see the nothingness in Lee's eyes. Solid white like he's possessed. And considering what's happened to him, he may as well be. If the souped-up shinobi is unconscious and Gaara should hit him without knowing... It could kill him, at best put Lee in a coma. He won't take the risk, he has to be careful.

Gaara was unnerved at the idea of moving, knowing that one wrong step might set Lee into attack mode. Maybe if he moved carefully? Kneeling he clapped his hands together, and after a quick apology to Lee, he commanded from his sand. "Sabaku Shigure."

Lee vanished, avoiding the sand cloud forming over his head that's ready to rain down shards of sand that would have done quite a bit of damage had he been hit. His attack aim was for behind Gaara; the unsuspecting male was alerted to the danger when his automatic barrier went off when taking the hit. It was fine if Lee wanted to tire himself out by attacking his barrier, Gaara wasn't using that first attack to harm Lee, it was the next one that would do the damage, he just needed more sand.

"Ryusa Bakuryu!"

The concrete beneath them began to tremble. The clumps of sand from before spread out and swirled around and around chiseling away at the concrete creating fine particles of dust for him to add to his sand. The waterfall attack grew and spread out until it was like an ocean during a storm, causing thunderous crashing waves slamming about the room. And while Lee had been trying to get a land on Gaara he wasn't able to see the first wave coming at his left. The curl of sand knocked him clean into another and another, but it would seem two could play at that game because Lee used a substitution to avoid the next wave.

That's when he was able to move in past the Suna no tate. And though Gaara was wearing armour, his automatic had to face Lee's incredible speed once again as the male launched him into the air. The kicks and punches and elbows to the side came so quickly an onlooker- and there is- can only see Gaara suspended in the air not moving, Lee would make blur giggle at the speed he's moving. But instead of breaking into a lotus he spat a jutsu.

"Mizu bunshin no jutsu!"

The sand was still making attempts on Lee, swiping for his limbs or torso when it caught up to him. A curl of sand swirled into the air like a mini typhoon snagging him, finally, around his left ankle. Dragging him down, sucking him in. The more Lee struggled the more stuck he became. It felt as though the quicksand had tar blended within its granules. But Lee had luckily summoned water clones who're now darting for and shattering through the sand like it's nothing special.

Gaara hid away beneath the sand that's settled on the floor, the surface grains are still going after the power-packed shinobi. His third eye is hovering in a corner of the room watching over the fight. He's got to find an opening so he can hit Lee hard enough to knock him out, with the water clones diving in and out of his sand freeing Lee from any entrapment Gaara manages, it won't be easy.

Done with defending and dodging, Lee folded his arms together and spun himself like a drill. "Kiyanondoriru!"

As the attack is named Lee became a drill moving with the strength and speed of a canon ball. It differs from the Gatsuga by a hair; this attack is at such a speed it can break through stone and steel in a single shot, so for a body to take the hit it's like turning the opponent's body into a sack filled with bone dust. So when Gaara was hit by Lee his armour shattered instantly, he'd been hit hard enough to go flying from the armour like he'd been launched from the casing. The Sand-nin's back hit the wall sending him through it.

Wincing from a fractured, hopefully fractured and not full-on broken rib, Gaara turned on hands and knees then crawled through the air duct he'd broken through. Getting his wits about him, a swath of sand wrapped around the male's legs helping him with a boost of speed to move away from his pursuer. Lengths of water whipped past Kazekage's face, the liquid gathered at the end of the metal tunnel to bar it off from his escape before it slid down the pipe towards him. His exit gone, Gaara shattered the tubing beside himself, and in a quick swoop he ducked out the hole he'd made going into the room below.

Kerai was practically giddy watching the showdown between the pair. He'd been more than put-off when they'd disappeared into the ventilation pipes, but luckily they didn't stay inside for long as the wet/dry match resumed for his viewing pleasure. He's never seen such speed, such agility and strength as the pair engaged in hand to hand combat. The bob-haired young man was blasting off water attacks as though he'd been born that way, and Kerai found himself at an applaud when a long stretch of wood shot from the floor bashing the Kazekage against his spine. It's a godsend that this thick-browed shinobi should just pop up out of nowhere and just hand himself over for his experimental use.

_'And just think of when I unleash him on the neighboring villages.'_ His smile was so broad the corners of his mouth curled.

Gaara can bend mud, but barely. So when the room was flooded with water he had to go in for a Plan B, because the wet sand wouldn't be strong enough. "Lee.. This isn't you. Look at what you're doing?" His ashen voice spoke through exhaustion. He's never had to battle a multitude of elements before. Especially when each one selected is able to take him down so completely.

"What... Now that we're on an even playing field suddenly you're afraid of me?" Lee snarled. "I can be a threat to the great Kazekage," he summoned a team of water clones. "It's time you and the rest of the ninja world realize just how powerful I am."

The water clones threw senbons made from water at the Sand-nin, who defended himself with a kunai, but he still wound up taking one slice to the leg from a missed deflect.

"Not on your own, it's a false power that'll lead to a false victory." Gaara watched the clones; he's already getting his armour back in place after having it stripped from him by those clones. They took him apart like a puzzle when Lee entered the room after him. And they'd do it again and again. He's weaponless in technique, and powerless in physical ability. "What happened to being counted for your own strengths? _Your_ shinobi way?"

"It died with the idea of peace." Snickering, Lee disappeared and once again Gaara was sent in a tailspin from a kick to the face.

The Kazekage wiped the blood from his split open cheek, the sting from the swelling bruise gone ignored as he took in the situation. That's it!

"Come at me, Gaara... As equals.. No," he corrected himself. "Come and meet your match."

"You were always a match for me," retorts Gaara. "But _now_... Now you're just a weak pathetic fool."

"Shut up..."

"With borrowed power!" He clenched his throat so as not to be choked out by the firm grip around his neck. "I'm so..."

A gathering of sand shaped itself like a mallet over Lee's head, then it dropped its weight down bashing the unsuspecting male right over the head knocking him unconscious.

Relieved, Gaara lowered Lee to the soaked floor where the wet sand was accumulated high enough to poke out from the water. After checking the male's vitals, he looked at one of the camera's. _'And now for Kerai.'_

0 0 0

The door of the tea shop slid over. It was the third one they've checked so far, and so far no one's seen Lee.

Tenten walked over to the counter, smiling at the woman who greeted her in the same. "Excuse us, we're looking for our friend and were wondering if you'd seen him? His name is Rock Lee, he's travelling with the Godaime Kazekage Gaara."

"Aah, the eccentric young man with the big eyebrows?" The woman pointed a finger in the air as if to point at the lightbulb over her head.

"That's him!" Tenten called over to her former teammate. "Neji, she's seen Lee!" her attention back on the shopkeeper. "We've been looking for him, did you happen to overhear where he was going from here?"

"No." Seeing the girl's posture slump, she reaches beneath the counter for a box filled with items. "This is our lost and found, he was in the middle of writing something and left it on the table. A postman came in and handed something to the Kazekage, they left shortly after that. It was too late to give this back to him before they disappeared."

Tenten took the note, reading it with Neji at her side doing the same.

"He's gone to Rain." He said outloud. "It doesn't say why, but I can guess it's because of something important to Gaara." Walking to the exit, he wonders to himself as he goes. "Could they still be there?"

"It's possible. Amegakure isn't known for their trusting disposition." Replied Tenten with unrequested feedback to an unasked question. "Maybe they got held up."

"We should check it out, at least."

Pocketing the note, she followed Neji into the dimming light of day.

0 0 0

"Very good, Kazekage," Kerai said into a microphone that boomed his voice over a loudspeaker. "But what are you planning on doing about them?"

The double doors sprang open in a blow, a spill of shinobi scurried into the room poised with kunai ready to strike. Gaara was not in the mood, he was bruised and bleeding and over it all. The drying sand shook on his command and swarmed around him like a pile of hornets until it accumulated more and more forming an outward image of Shukaku. The sand wrapped around Lee as well, carrying the unconscious male comfortably in the tail while Gaara sat up front at the steer.

The men gauged the makeshift beast, knowing that while Gaara's had the creature extracted from him by the Akatsuki a couple of years back he's no less dangerous then he was before. A roar came from it's sand-toothed grinning mouth before a plethora of shuriken went flying towards them. As the men dodged the spray of violent sand stars, Shukaku went running towards them at full speed before dropping onto its belly and spinning like a top about the room slamming into the distracted men. The replica's hands are enlarged pounding four men, two beneath each clawed paw, into the wet sandy floor. Behind him the remaining three of the seven shinobis. They threw senbon at his back, sending a jolt of electricity through a long stretch of wire once the needle points took anchor.

They hadn't expected lightning rods to protrude through the sand monster's back, and they didn't expect the pulverizing claws to reach back and grab the wires. Gaara almost swung them into each other but missed his chance by their simply releasing the cords in their sign-woven hands. Not wanting to rattle Lee more than he is, the clone of Shukaku spun on them shooting a ball of wind at them knocking them away and against the wall. Gaara chose that moment to make his escape, and with one great leap he smashed through the ceiling and into the next room then the next until he was out in the darkened city making his way to safety.

Kerai watched the departure with full amusement. The Kazekage could escape with his prized catch if he liked. Because the side effect of the stones is not one to be taken lightly. _'I can see the villagers of Suna gathering around to help the young man, not knowing they've allowed a living bomb into their midst.'_ There, of course, was the risk of the male staying in Rain, but that seemed unlikely with how worried the red head had been about his friend. _'Looks like it's on to the next one.'_ He recalled the Leaf-nin's words to Gaara when they were fighting, about how they were finally on an equal playing field. _'Or perhaps he isn't a lost cause after all. These simpletons of Rain like to get a stone and play shinobi for a day or so, as long as the stone lasts few want the power for anything outside of fun. But that young man proved different.'_

Turning off the monitor he sat in a chair behind a desk at the back of the room, fingers steepled in contemplation. _'Sawada died from the stone he'd been given. But he was a mere mortal, couldn't take it. Not like this one... I have to get him back.'_

Shukaku leaped from roof top to roof top until they landed at Sawada's home. He couldn't go to the hotel where people knew outsiders to be shacked up, and he certainly couldn't take Lee to Miyamoto's. If Sawada has become invisible to everyone but the little boy, hiding out in his home was their only solution. He wants to get Lee back home as soon as possible, but he knows once his eyes open Lee will demand they head back to Rain and help the young boy find his brother. Whatever happens is going to have to be here.

_'There could be a discrete doctor somewhere here, who can help Lee.'_ Gaara mused. _'And if not, I can brandish some of my positive Lee'enforcement and make him help in secrecy.'_ With a soft thump the molding of sand lands before the battered and forgotten man's home.

Shukaku slithered up to the door knocking, he hoped Miyamoto was still inside. When the wooden door slid open, easily as he doesn't expect any danger in this neck-of-the-woods, he received the scare of a lifetime upon seeing the short beast at his doorstep.

"Haaaaa!"

Gaara's face emerged from the face of Shukaku and placing his own finger to his lips he says. "Ssshhh, it's me."

Calming himself, he stepped back from the door while keeping a frightened eye on the mass of dissolving sand. "What happened to Mr. Lee?" He wondered. Seeing Lee sliding across the floor through the house on a sheet of sand, he gasped. He recognized that look. The aching expression, and the swelled limbs. Lee took a stone, and not one of the one-of-the-mill ones that don't last but a week or so. This was the blood stone with Kekkei Genkais. "When did he take that?" Miyamoto asked in a frightened squeak.

"I'm not sure." Lee is place on the couch, then Gaara turned to the child. "Is this going to happen to Lee as well?" He nodded to Sawada, barely conscious in the bedroom where the child had moved him to sleep.

"If he took the big one, yes. I don't think anyones body can handle what those stones can do." He burst into tears. "It's not fair!"

"Get a hold of yourself, I won't allow Lee to die." Gaara took a seat at the kitchen table, at a loss of how to convince even himself that that's the absolute truth. "Now Tachibana said the stones don't last very long, but she doesn't know about the larger ones, I'm guessing."

Miyamoto shook his head. Wiping his tears he joined Gaara at the table. "Few do."

"Is there a doctor in town, someone who maybe treats you whenever the town's people become to violent." If they all believe the boy a pest, surely it branched further than a couple pissy neighborhood lums. Even the bartender thought the boy trouble. "He needs to see a doctor to make sure his vitals are all right."

"There's doctor Kaomi, but he lives on the South side."

"You'll have to be quick then, to and from. I can't risk going back out, Kerai could be looking for Lee or me."

"I'll be as fast as I can," he ran a hand across his eyes and nose to clear his sadness then got up from the table.

_'What should I do until then, there has to be something...'_

"Huwwwaaa!" Lee's body convulsed on the chair. He'd arched so hard Gaara thought the male would take flight to the ceiling.

Out of his seat and at the male's side, Gaara tried holding Lee down to keep him from twisting too much. Lee's teeth are bared as if he's holding something back, and by the time his convulsions have stopped the Leaf-nin's nose is bleeding heavily into the couch cushion. The leaking dark smog receded back inside Lee's pores.

_'It's as if the techniques are trying to escape him whether he commands them to or not.'_ It was like a light bulb had gone off. Maybe if Lee used up all of the stone's abilities, he'd be rid of it like all the other villagers who thought the power was expended after a point to have them buy more to inflate the economy. Could it really be possible?

Gaara sure as hell was going to give it a try, anything would do to stop Lee's next wave of pain. But he had no way of knowing them, not all of them. There must be a book in the archives, even forbidden jutsus are known to studious shinobis. So it can't be all up in the air.

"I'll be right back," he says to the trauma-lapsed male, not knowing whether he's heard by him or not. "Henge." He poofed into a young man with black hair and brown eyes with a spray of freckles across his face. The pancho was a nice touch too. _'Noone's going to recognize me like this.'_

Ten minutes later Gaara met Miyamoto at the door with a tall thick man wearing medical clothes. He had to explain to a library clerk that he was researching jutsus because he was planning on buying a stone, he wanted to be sure he got the best of the best. The woman laughed, telling him he wasn't the first to request the book and that something once obsolete is now on order for a few more prints. Gaara felt sick as he realized the ninja world wasn't the only one suffering corruption. He checked out the book and hurried back to Sawada's.

"What happened to him?"

"He took a stone and it's not agreeing with him." Explained the male still in disguise.

He couldn't risk changing back should this doctor be under the influence of Kerai's delusions as well. You never know what goes on outside when you're walled up. This man could be approached and rat out a red-harried, sleep deprived young man travelling with a bob-haired, bushy-browed, and sickly looking shinobi. He could only hope the wet towel he wrapped around Lee's head disguised him enough to keep his cover.

"I need you to check his vitals, that's all. Don't stick him with anything without running it by me." Gaara crossed his arms daring the man to object.

The doctor nodded, and became brief with conversation as he checked Lee over: heart rate, breathing, temperature. The doctor wanted to take a blood sample to get a more accurate reading but he was refused. They all braced themselves when Lee began screaming and convulsing again.

"I'd like for him to take this, it'll help relax him. His heart rate is off the charts." The doctor showed Gaara a slip of paper that held a couple pills. "I don't think your friend should have messed with something he didn't fully understand, it might have killed him."

"It wasn't his choice."

"You mean someone did this to him?"

Gaara didn't say who. "It happened a short while ago, maybe an hour."

"Has he thrown up? It could still be in his stomach, if it were a large piece." The doctor helped Lee to sit up. "He isn't the first person to come in complaining about those Chakra Stones. It's usually from people who've had them longer than a week or so, others said they took something brown with some bloodline nonsense... Frankly the whole craze just seems like political propaganda to try something new with a smile on your face."

"You don't think the stones are for the better?" Asked the Kazekage.

"Not if they do things like this. Experimental drugs are tested on people who've volunteered, that have healthy immune systems. They're not just handed out like a prize at a festival- can you get me a bucket, please?" Opening Lee's mouth, with two fingers he rams them down to the back of the male's throat once the bucket was in place.

The sickly male vomited everything from his stomach into the bucket and once done he's laid back down on the couch.

"Best I can suggest is to ride out the side effects."

Wiping Lee's mouth, Gaara inquired. "What are the worst to expect?"

"I haven't seen anything as bad as one of my former patients, sadly he died. For the most part the side effects are vomiting, high fever, and dehydration. Your friend is inconclusive without a trip to the hospital."

There was a large hesitation there; Gaara was sure Doctor Kaomi was talking about Sawada as the patient who'd died. The man isn't dead, more like disappeared. And he's not exactly better for it. He's little more than a shrunken, dried root.

"I'd like to try something first, if that doesn't work than you can take him to your clinic."

"Good call. He's sleeping now," explained the doctor. "You just allow him to rest, and if his condition hasn't changed bring him in."

Nodding, Gaara walked the man to the door and whispered to him just before he walked out. "You won't tell anyone about this."

The man sensed it was neither a question nor a request. Seeing a strange look in the young man's cheerful brown gaze, he nodded then hurried away from the slums and back to the main sector of the city.

Turning to child. Gaara says. "Make Lee some soup, please. I'm going to read for a while."

Nodding, Miyamoto got to work on the soup. Walking over to the couch he took a seat on the floor, removing the book from his pocket. Back to his normal appearance, he cracked the cover but couldn't begin to read. His attention went to the bucket at his side. Fishing around the contents of Lee's stomach he located the stone that was inside of him.

_'It's this small? Or perhaps its dissolved more than I thought it would in such a short time.'_ Sighing, he crushed the stomach acid weakened stone in his palm into dust. It would probably be a matter of time before Lee's bones did the same thing as the stone just now, turn to dust.

0 0 0

Tenten finished the last of her water, and her dinner of fish and pickled radishes was already taken down twenty minutes ago. She doesn't want to sleep, but seeing as Lee had been in the middle of writing a letter to Gai-sensei about his going with Gaara to Rain, it wasn't a long battle from Neji to convince her that they needed a rest. Maybe they should have traveled by cart. A smile spread across her face at the thought of Neji travelling like a common merchant. Her refined friend would sooner run along side it like a body guard than sit inside as a passenger.

Cleaning up the dishes he'd used to eat with, Neji then grabbed a bucket to fill with water from the river to put out the fire. The sooner they recharged with some sleep the sooner they could get back on the road, confirm that Lee's ok, then head home with him. Gai wouldn't have it any other way. And hearing that the man is worried Lee would come along willingly. They may even come across them here in the sort of crossword between Konoha and Amegakure and not have to bother going into the dreary village at all.

Water swam into the bucket like it were alive and waiting to stop the endless journey to wherever the river met a stand-still. Lifting the bucket from the water, Neji's frosted gaze looked across the river to the other side. Walking across the rush rather, than through, he spots foot prints in the dirt at the river's edge, and another imprint that he decidedly ignored since it looked like the length of a body with the legs at the wrong side. But one set of foot prints was far less pronounced than the other. He's seen this before. Because of the weights around his ankles, Lee makes very deep foot prints whenever he walks the earth, he may even make them in the grass though they aren't seen. Obviously.

_'At least we know they were here.'_ Thought the male returning to his own camp.

0 0 0

Lee's eyes opened slowly, and his bleary gaze stared at the ceiling while they waited to clear. To adjust. His body ached all over. Each limb numb but burning, his skin leathery and sweaty. Even his mind was paste. Extreme discomfort knocked him out cold for an hour and a little more. Aside from drowsy, he doesn't feel nearly as horrible as his battered mind and body can recall.

A frown on his face, he spoke over a crackling throat. "Gaara,"

Turning around from his position on the floor before the chair, the relieved red head set down his book. "Don't speak. Can you sit up?" Hand on Lee's chest, he slid the other beneath Lee's back and assisted his grunting love to a sit. "Miyamoto, put some soup in a bowl."

Like a soldier put into action, Miyamoto salutes the Kazekage then sets to work ladling soup into a bowl.

Returning his attention to Lee, Gaara asked. "Just gesture, how are you feeling?" He put a hand to the male's forehead.

Taking a hold of that hand Lee lowered it to rest between them on the couch. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize, you didn't want this."

He gave the Sand-nin a weary look.

"Maybe you did want it, but not force-fed... And certainly not a failed attempt." Taking the bowl from the idling child who approached the couch, he spoons some into Lee's mouth. "Kerai won't be alive much longer; once I beat the cure from him, he'll be of no use to me or anyone anymore."

"Gaara, you can't do something like that. I'll make things bad between Ame and Suna."

"Then they shouldn't have messed with you." The bitter red head glared in defiance.

A faint smile spread across Lee's saddened face. "Some one's always going to 'mess with me', but I can defend myself." He took down a spoonful of soup. "I _have_ to defend myself." Taking the spoon from his nursemaid, he stirs it thoughtfully before taking another bite. "How will I achieve my ninja way if someone always comes to my rescue the moment my opponent lands a punch?"

Gaara could only stare at Lee. The Leaf-nin had to realize that when it came to them, Lee has no choice but to be protected. He'd do whatever it took, even if he lost his own life in the process. Bowl off his lap, and task of feeding no longer his, Gaara grabs the book from the floor.

"I think we can remove the absorbed chakra from your system through expelling it."

"Mmm?" Asked Lee through a closed mouth filled with potato chunks and chicken and broth.

"Before it can do more damage to your own chakra, you need to use every jutsu in the book." Gaara explained. "The stone might become drained of it's attachment."

Setting the bowl down onto his lap, Lee vigorously scratched his right arm. It feels like worms are crawling around inside of him, under his skin. A pained sound choked from his mouth, before he spat his love's name.

Standing, Gaara kept himself calm hoping it would have a calming effect on Lee as well. "We need to get you outside," he pressed his index and center finger to his eye. A ball of sand formed into an eyeball then flew out the window to look around. "Use a transformation jutsu. Keep changing until you feel better, that might stave it off for now."

"Hnnnn..." His teeth bared through the pain. And through a gritty and dry throat he muttered. "Henge."

While Lee went from himself to his form, to Maitou Gai, and Neji; Gaara used the chance to search for cameras with his third eye. He only hoped if he had to destroy some they didn't draw attention by whomever is monitoring them. Even if it's the police, their checking it out could result in Kerai finding not only Lee but his first failed attempt Chouji Sawada. Whose body already blew a fuse and remains little more than a shriveled rag of a human being. The area seems to be completely isolated of humanity, nothing more than trash and a couple homes- one of the two being Sawada's. Returning his eye, he reached out to Lee helping him from the couch.

"Bring a blanket outside, if you have one." The Kazekage asked of the little boy.

The pair walk out into the backyard followed shortly by the kid with a rough blanket. He held it out to Gaara then watched with extreme interest. If this helps Lee then... Well, no. Sawada's probably long since missed his chance. His being alive can't even be considered a blessing to count, because what exactly is there for him?

Lee's pained scream echoed through the alley, alerting no one. Not yet. He wriggled and writhed within Gaara's grasp. The Kazekage is sitting on the concrete street, and with the blanket he covered the fevered male.

"I know, I know." He whispered trying to be soothing. "Just try to relax, and repeat after me." His hand rubbed up and down the pained male's torso and chest. "You know my attacks, go through them all with me. Squeeze my hand when you need to stop."

Lee heard Gaara's words over his screams, and with a nod he spat out the first technique. "Sa..Sabaku k.. kyu.."

Miyamoto was thoroughly spooked when a chair took the assault and rose into the air in a cake of sand. He's never seen anything like it.

"Good, and the next one." Comments the coach.

The command came and the chair was crushed into the size of a juice can, dropping to the warm ground. Lee then went into a fire attack, but after the flaming ball passed his lips, he leaned over around Gaara's knees to throw up the little bit of soup he'd eaten. Why didn't it hurt this much when he first used it? As ig that would have mattered. He truly had wanted to out a stone, and no matter how it happened he's to blame for the prices of pain. When the pains calmed down, he released the grip on Gaara's hand and knee, then began again.

Night had been long, but the dawn came quickly and with it the search party made their ways along the last stretch to Rain.

x x x

"We're looking for two people who've come here recently," Tenten said to the guard when reaching the gate around 10 o'clock in the morning. "Are they still inside?" Tenten showed the large man the cards with Gaara's and Lee's photos on them.

"Haven't seen 'em." Said the guard, not even looking at the photos.

"But we have a note that says this is where they've gone." Protests the kunoichi.

"I'm telling you," he swats at the cards held up to his face. "I haven't seen them, if they came here they're probably gone by now. And you should follow their example."

Neji turned his glaring eyes from the man and looked instead at the village gate, or rather he saw through it. With his dōjutsu he saw merchants, refugees, civilians- of you could call them that- and there just at the far reaches of the city he saw through the man's lie. Blinking his vision back to normal, Neji turned to his teammate and the uppity guard.

"Tenten, we should go. They're not here."

Looking rather smug the man snipped. "Told ya. Now get lost."

Leading Tenten away Neji then spoke quietly to her. "I saw them at the back of the city, the guard lied."

"But why?" Brows furrowed, she looked over her shoulder at the grim bastard.

"I think something happened to Lee," he looked back over at the entrance into town. "His chakra channels looked strange."

"Strange?" Blinking Tenten scanned the wall for a point of access.

"I don't know what happened, but it must be bad and they're trying to cover it up."

Now they're both glaring at the guard who's suddenly glaring right back.

Lee was exhausted, one more jutsu and he'd be finished. But his pains had stopped, the vomiting too. He had a feeling he'd suffer again once his chakra replenishes, but right now he just wants to sleep.

"It's going all over town!" Miyamoto hurried around to the back of the house, out of breath and in a panic. "Kerai is declaring you guys upstarts, and he's asking the townspeople to bring you in! They think you're trouble- dangerous!" Slumped over he waited to catch his breath before speaking again. "They're even offering a reward of 20,000 ryo."

"Relax, Miyamoto," Gaara spoke calmly though his stress level had just spiked. This was not good. "Lee's symptoms have calmed down, we can go back inside." He slid his legs from around Lee's hips then lifted him bridal style. "Will you get the door?"

The young boy pulled open the back door and helped Lee inside, well, he mostly patted the older man's shoulder. But help is what it is even in th simple form of comfort.

"The announcement started just now, pretty soon everyone is gonna be looking for you guys."

"They can find me," comments the Kazekage walking to the door. "I need to find your brother, and Kerai needs to answer a few questions for me." He left out the fact that he's then going to kill him. No need to make the kid more distressed than he is.

"You're going alone?"

"I have clones." The front door is tugged open and beside Gaara appears a sand clone.

The clone seemed to know what to do, pulling the hood of the cloak over its head, it then hurried down the street away from Sawada's home with a mission to draw the villagers away from Gaara's movements.

"Keep the door locked; don't even look out of the windows." Using a transformation jutsu to disguise himself, he adds. "If Lee starts to freak out again there's a book on the table, just read off the jutsus inside, don't let him over exceed his chakra supply, it could kill him."

Miyamoto looked like he was about to spiral into a fit, but he nodded, noted, and planned to execute if the time came. And hopefully it wouldn't.

"I'll be back when I can." Gaara released another clone that stood in the shadows beside the home to act as defense.

"Gaara's on the move somewhere," Neji whispered to Tenten while watching the strange goings-on in town. "There's a clone traveling in the opposite direction."

"What are you two talking about over there," wondered the guard; releasing a large axe from it's holster behind his back he kept a firm hand around the handle. "I just told you that your friends aren't here, if you continue hanging around I'm gonna have to move you myself."

The trio outside of the wall can hear Kerai's message being broadcasts over loudspeakers set up around the village. The speakers had been installed a long time ago, long since forgotten since they'd served no purpose. So no one noticed or cared that Kerai had taken them over for his own uses a few months back.

"Those worms, I knew they'd start trouble." The guard said to himself when hearing the descriptions of the upstarts. It sounds like the Kazekage and his weird looking friend. "Looks like the cat's out of the bag. I don't suppose you showed up to help these troublemakers?"

"Tenten!" He shouted to get her attention of the large axe swinging down over her head.

But that was only a rouse to keep the man's attention from where Neji and Tenten really were, which is right behind him and throwing an arsenal while the large weapon dropped its full weight down on some logs.

"Hunh?" The guard managed to dodge and repel a few of the projectiles coming his way while a good amount slashed into his generously proportioned body. With a laugh, he looked at the kunoichi and mocked. "Is that the best you've got?"

Behind him Neji says. "Hakke Rokujuuyonshou!"

The guard made a move to escape but it was too late, he was sent into a world of hurt as weakness raked through his body ceasing his movements stopping his chakra flow. Not that he had much beyond his unused genjutsus. And by the time Neji had finished the last stab the final whirl of movement, the guard was a stiff pile of jelly lay in a heap on the grass.

"Let's get Lee."

The two head for the door when they're accosted by four men wearing Suna head bands.

"We'll assist you inside." One said to them from beyond a mask. "Tell us where the Kazekage is." They recognized the Byakugan user from a previous mission he'd had in their village.

"To a factory near the outskirts of town." Replied the Leaf-nin. "It's the largest in town, you can't miss it."

Nodding the four disappear beyond the walls, Neji and Tenten do the same.

The town was practically in a state of panic, or perhaps not panic, the crowd was foaming at the mouth as the Leaf-nins made their way through the anger and shouting. It didn't take a genius to figure out that this was getting violent when a can filled with what sounded like rocks went sailing and landed between Tenten's shoulder blades. The girl spun around, anger in her gaze as she searched for a figureless culprit among many.

"What's going on?" She asked her former teammate.

"I don't know." Using his Byakugan he sees the clone through the crowd, and with his Heavenly Spin he shot the crowds out of the way so they could get through.

"I'll bet they're helping the trespassers!" A man called.

"They wanna take away our equality!" Screamed a woman in agreement, grabbing for the pair as they hurried through the chaos. "Stop them!"

Standing beside the sand clone, Neji asked. "What happened, is this a rebellion?"

"Of sorts." Replied the clone using a whirl of sand to stop a flaming torch from hitting him. "You need to go to Lee and get him out of this village, he's been infected with something called a Chakra Stone."

"What's that?" Asked the kunoichi using her three-pronged-nunchuck to bat away ariel assault, and one man's aim with a pitch fork.

"It gives a normal person abilities of a ninja."

"Then you mean," Neji looked at the swarm of people. "All of them have ninjutsu?"

"Yes."

"And the real Gaara?" He then asked.

"Stopping the man responsible for it."

The three part like a bomb went off, and in a way one had as a man skimmed past them using a Chidori. Neji chopped the man to the back of the back knocking him out instantly. All show and no real ability. This was a ridiculous.

"I'll hold them off, you get Lee out of here!" He said to Tenten and the clone.

"Right." She shoved the point of her bo into a woman's stomach tossing her and a woman that was too close to the ladies back over her shoulder.

Gaara's clone and Tenten made their way through the crowd to Sawada's home. The clone was sure to knock out everyone following them or who showed up along the way to prevent giving away the man's home. Thinking about it, they should get him out of the village as well. But clones don't think. With any luck Tenten will realize they can't leave the man in his home when he was a victim of the experiments as well.

0 0 0

The doors to the upper level of the factory opened with a lazy sort of movement. It was more question than contempt. Then Gaara appeared through the entrance, his eyes adjusting to the dim lighting before he spotted the corrupt elective.

"Kazekage... A pleasure." Said Kerai rather smugly. Somehow he knew he'd be seeing the sleep deprived little figure-head again.

"Where is Miyamoto's brother?" He asked getting right to the point. "And how do I cure my friend?"

Kerai merely laughed.

Ignoring the man's mirth, Gaara continued. "These things you will tell me, and then I will kill you."

"Kill me?" The man really was enjoying the joke now. "What makes you think you can, or would even get close enough to me for something like that to happen?"

The man snapped his fingers calling for twenty men from the next room to come to his aid. Arms crossed, the puffed-up elective offered Gaara a look that dared him to make ease of these men.

"They don't seem to be on the brink of death, they must have normal stones," commented the Kazekage. "It shouldn't be an issue then, since they're not as powerful as the Kekkei Genkai stones."

"There's an odd declaration, are you trying to tell me that you see the value of my creations?"

"I can." Lied the male. "But it's funny that you don't see the flaw of it."

"I see the flaws, your friend, like Sawada, is going to blow sky high." He takes a step backwards. "And for me it's simply on to the next."

"Wrong." Gaara continued bluffing. "My friend is perfectly fine, and powerful. He's outside laying waste to the band of fools you've got swallowing poison and fighting for you." He takes a step forward, eyeing the men who're now closing in on him upon seeing their boss's restreat. "You forget, he was only knocked out... He took to your experiment just fine, and your being a weakling, not even willing to use your own creation... he's going to come in here and destroy you."

Kerai scoffed at the notion, but the worry was there. When the man slipped out of the room, Gaara knew exactly where he intended to go. Knowing the greed of humanity, Kerai will want the best he's got for himself and, wherever he keeps it, Miyamoto's brother will be there. Removing a kunai from his weapon holster, Gaara faced the crowd of ninjas and civilian. He didn't want to hurt them, but they knew what they were signing up for.

Hearing a water summoning jutsu, Gaara smiled. "Predictable tactic," reaching into his pouch again, he grabbed a handful of tiny smoke bombs. Tossing them to the floor when the cloud released into the room shrouding it with white mist, the Kazekage drew another kunai then attacked.

"It's here," said the clone pulling open the door to Chouji Sawada's home.

Miyamoto shrieked and held a kitchen knife up in defense of the intruder. "I won't let you have him!" Declared the child's shaking voice.

Tenten had entered first and walked over to the couch where the child is planted as a guard.

"Aaahh!" Miyamoto charged at her, but was easily thwarted off and held from any further attempts by his knife wielding wrist.

"Miyamoto, this girl is Lee's friend. She's here to help." Said the clone.

"Are you really his friend?" He asked.

"I am." Letting go of the child's wrist, she knelt down beside Lee. "What's wrong with him?" Even a blind man could tell Lee wasn't in a good place.

"Oh no," Miyamoto leaned down to lift Lee's arm to rest around his shoulders. Lee was clenching his teeth and grabbing at the couch. His symptoms must be back. "We have to get him outside so he can use the jutsus to get rid of the stone's effects."

Tenten felt bad for the weeping kid, and took charge of the situation to ease his fears. "I'll take him outside and help him. You stay here and make some tea."

"Okay." He was so relieved his legs gave out and he collapsed to the couch. "Thank you." Pointing, the child added. "Mr. Gaara said to use the book, all he has to do is use the techniques until his chakra is almost dry."

There was something Tenten never thought she'd hear when someone was referring to Lee. Dispel chakra through jutsus. It's only been what three days? What on earth has been going on? Pushing open the back door, she eased Lee into a bent up chair resting against the home.

Wiping the male's sweaty forehead, she was baffled over what to do. Thumbing through the book she snatched from the table on their way out, she read a technique out loud and wondered what that was supposed to do to help, until Lee repeated after her and turned into a puddle of water. The kunoichi's eyes bugged out of her head seeing the injured male reforming into the chair. Her stupor was shaken off and she looked for another technique.

Neji was making quick work out of the attacking civilians, the only real issue was dodging multiple fire blasts or some other tactless assault. It really was a shame. Like sending children to war with nothing more than a wooden stick and a stone. They knew what they were in for, but no clue of how to handle it.

From the corner of his eye he sees a tree spring up towards the sky over by Sawada's home. Knowing it must have something to do with what Gaara had told them about, Neji shoved his fist into a teen's stomach, pushing him out of the way before turning on his heels and making for the home. They'd recover. What they did after that was their own business. If they'd learned anything, it should be that whatever was going on in the village shouldn't be their business. Most of them weren't even born in Rain, they're refugees. Outcasts. If the ninja wars weren't good examples of that, in Neji's opinion, these people need to be put down for good.

0 0 0

Gaara burst through the door where Kerai ran off to. He wasn't going to waste anymore time with the small army, not when a simple blow to the head or stomach took them out. He couldn't see in the dim lighting, darker due to the lack of windows in the hall. So he was sucker punched by an enlarged fist that thrust towards him, landing a blow to his cheek.

Sailing a distance before hitting the floor, Gaara rolled from the landing up onto his feet. He didn't even put an ice pack on his former injuries, his face was going to swell immensely now. Though one couldn't tell since his armor was up and he looks unharmed as per usual.

"You said something about my being weak? That your friend was coming for me," Kerai's arm shriveled back to a more natural state. "Let's see how well he does now that I've got the same abilities." Weaving a sign, he spoke to the Kazekage. "It was good of you to help me come to my decision to gain the power I so kindly gave out." With a sinister smirk, he added. "Maybe I won't hurt you too much."

Gaara, who had been watching his sand accumulate behind the elective, turned his frosted gaze on him. "Doing me favors?" He wondered. "If you think I'm going to die by your hands, then why not tell me where Miyamoto's brother is hidden?"

"I'd rather drown you."

Gaara was encased in a bubble before he could figure out what sign the man had woven. The Kazekage held his breath while commanding his clones to attack. He may not be the most skilled at using taijutsu, but he was surely better than Kerai. Now that he had a distraction, he wriggled and squirmed trying to free himself from the enclosure, but it was proving not to be an easy task. No slash nor punch made a dent on the thing.

_'What can I do?'_ Wondered the Sand-nin. If he couldn't break free, surely he could at least move it. Shoving his weight forward, he rolled the jiggling ball of water over to Kerai, who's got his back to him while fighting his clones.

The ball rolled into the man just as he took a lunge backward from a kick aimed at his chest. His body held against the bubble for a moment but soon the enclosure engulfed him just as it had Gaara. The Kazekage's hands wrapped around the elective's throat, squeezing him until he started to turn blue. Kerai had three choices, get strangled to death, take a breath and drown, or release the jutsu and find a way to slither out of harms way. Bubbles drifted from his nose, he almost let himself drown by taking a breath, but he stopped himself by releasing the jutsu and freeing himself when they fell to the floor.

Gaara caught his breath along with Kerai. He couldn't let him recover first, he hadn't been inside the bubble as long as Gaara so his recover time would be drastically shorter. The Sand-nin removed a kunai from his pouch and swung it down into the man's side.

"Aaa!" The back of the man's fist slammed against Gaara's temple in an attempt to dislodge himself from the teen, who's digging the weapon deeper into his side.

Kerai continued crying out in pain as he rolled himself over bringing the teen with him.

"Perhaps I used the wrong approach with you, Kazekage." Kerai's arms liquefied and coiled around Gaara's body, mummifying him. "Maybe I'll just crush you instead."

Through pain grit teeth, Gaara replied. "Funny, I was thinking the same thing."

The ceiling slid away slamming down on the pair crushing only Kerai and missing Gaara, who'd fused with the compacted sand. Pulling his sluggish body from the pile of sand, he felt around grabbing Kerai once his hand brushed into him.

"You should have just told me what I wanted to know." He said to the unconscious lump in his hands. Lifting Kerai from the floor, he took him down to the lower levels of the factory.

...

Commentary: Well, this was supposed to be the last chapter, but I thought the epilogue would be kinda tiny with what I had, so I chopped it off and will have the actually story's ending done some other time. Thanks for reading this, leaving a review, or favoriting and following. It's just cool seeing that. I hope you continue to enjoy it. I'm gonna write out some notes, then get some lunch my brain needs a rest. Fight scenes always take it out of me when it isn't simple martial arts ahaha.

Oh and if this hasn't flowed smoothly, I'll end up fixing it some time later. But sometimes I get winded and my words type out like alphabet soup or they don't flow and my checkers only tell me if something was misspelled. So I'll check back, it always looks different when it's posted.


	6. The Shinobi Way

Kerai's eyes crept open after some time had passed since the fight in the hallway, and through a blur he was startled to see a red haired panda hovering over him, but when his vision cleared he saw it was the Kazekage, looking down at something he's holding, and not a deformed breed of animal. He tried to move, to lash out at the young man and pick up where their violent encounter had left off, but his arms are pinned to his sides. Now that he noticed it, his entire body was pinned down! Teeth bared Kerai struggled to get free of the strong leather bindings attached to the flatbed in his lab.

"Has anyone ever successfully escaped once strapped to the table, Mr. Elective?" asked Gaara circling around the bed with a tube in his hand. "If not, I suggest you cease your movements so I can find a vein."

Kerai tried to speak but his words didn't make it out of his mouth, they were held captive just as Kerai they're bound inside of his mouth beyond the guard of duct tape. The man's agitated breathing huffed and puffed the tape outward but the sticky barrier didn't budge.

"It'll be messy if you don't settle down," Gaara mentioned seeing that the bound and gagged preferred to struggle. "It makes no difference to me, if I miss, of course... I'll just keep stabbing until I've found where I need it."

Kerai looked around the room as far as his vision could; he cried out when something pinched his arm, and casting his vision down he sees a tube sticking out of his arm.

"You look worried," Gaara was saying as he crossed the room to the lever that would activate the machine, "I thought this was safe? Is there a difference between compressed and liquid form? Guess we'll find out..." Smiling over the man's protests, he threw the lever down and the machine groaned to life, but before the liquid could finish its trail through the tube it was turned off. "Sorry, I didn't hear you? Did you say something?" the Kazekage approaching the elective.

Kerai groaned and whimpered through the tape; Gaara reached over and tore it off. The man took an unrestricted moment to breathe in and out, in and out. "You're the kazekage, right? You need power, I can help you get that power?" Pleaded the sick man; it would seem he was still singing the same tune as he'd preached up on stage outside to the villagers. "D-.. don't you want it that way? To be on top, and no longer needing to alliance yourself with others just to create peace."

"Peace can only be created through compromise and change, there is no peace in fear." Restoring the tape over the man's chomping, pleading mouth, Gaara walked back over to the machine's power source then turned it on.

Kerai, with tears in his eyes, tensed as the liquid ran through the tube and into his body. Had it simply been a stone, had it been just a small shot he wouldn't have worried. But he's never tested the stones in their purest form and this teenaged village leader had plans to pump the entire tank of solvent into his body. He shook and gagged as the contents filled him from the tip of his toes to the top of his head. It leaked from his mouth, his ears, nose, and eyes. He couldn't tell if he'd used the bathroom on himself from both ends or if the chakra liquid were leaking from his body even there.

Gaara watched with interest and a thoughtful expression over how much he'd changed. His younger years would have enjoyed this man's suffering. Would have furthered it, lavished in torturing this man for hurting, Lee, who'd braved himself up to give him love and receive his odd offering of it back. But Gaara at present only appreciated the vengeance of giving the man a pain he'd dealt with others. However short the list was of people truly hurt by people who'd only benefited from the stones, this was for them. All those refugees Kerai had used when working on his experiment, his means of testing an idea in order to see how well the gimmick would work on himself- Gaara knew that was the man's 'end game'. Scientists and chemists need test subjects and they almost always need test subjects.

His cool green gaze left the elective's writhing body when the open doors filled with movement. He was glad to see his guards standing there. They first saw Kerai then they turned their heads and saw Gaara at the other end of the room.

"Kazekage..." They said in unison as they approached their leader.

"I'm glad you're here," a hill of sand moved from the corner of the room. "I need you to take this man home for me, follow my sand clone to the address. When you get there, help Lee and the young boy living there leave with the others."

"Shall one of us stay, sir?" asked a guard dutifully.

Gaara looked at his guard then to Kerai's shaking form. "I've got this handled. Go. And be careful with him."

"Yes, sir!"

The four men vanished with Tetsu Kino. The young man was found floating near-lifelessly inside the large bulbous container of diluted red fluid. Nothing but the skin on bones, Gaara expected to have to tell the young boy the bad news, at best produce a body to bury. But the corpse unexpectedly grabbed a hold of Gaara's coat when he'd fished him out of the tub. His breaths were faint and wispy. It was, fortunately, unfortunate that Tetsu had to be kept alive in order for the formula to work because the man clearly wanted death.

Gaara had no medical supplies on him that could help the older man at that stage of degradation, but he could give him a protein juice that Lee had packed alongside his weapons. It wasn't food but it was, at least, something he could get down and keep down- hopefully.

Kerai's body was only wriggling because of the liquid moving him, not because he was still alive and feeling pain. Gaara was draining the entire tank into him. That had been the plan, the man's death didn't matter in the situation. He wanted the solvent gone, he wanted the factory that made it gone. Nothing needed to remain in this horrible place.

A barrier of sand arched over Gaara's head enclosing half way around his body, the Kazekage opened his arms and concentrated. The building began shaking with light tremors that almost wouldn't have been felt at all had it not reached the floor you were standing on. Each cement block turned to dust, granulates of sand that expanded and destroyed as it rose and rose.

0 0 0

Lee was brought back into the house just as Neji came through the door. Tenten set her drained teammate down on the sofa then addressed the other. "We need to leave."

"Mm," intoned the Hyuuga in agreement, "can we get out through the back?" It was wondered because there was a chance the town's people were on their way to the house.

"There's an alley and the ravine," she pointed to where she'd just come from. "I think it's polluted."

Neji hadn't had diving in mind, but that was good to know should he have taken an unexpected plunge. "We can scale the wall, it might not be electrocuted."

The three people inside the home who are alert got startled by the door bursting open; Neji and Tenten's position for battle eased when they saw it was Gaara's men.

"Tetsu!" Miyamoto broke into tears running to his brother's side. He cried outright when seeing the wrinkled pale form, held limply in one of the guards arms. "Is he...?" The boy didn't have the stomach to finish those words. Not directed at his brother.

"He's alive, but we need to get him help in order for it to stay that way." One of the nameless guards replied.

Another looked at the Konoha allies. "We've been instructed to assist in your departure."

One of the four were already holding Lee in his arms. They followed Neji and Tenten through the back door of the small home after one of the other guards grabbed Sawada to bring with them. There was no sense in him staying behind since everyone else was leaving.

The village was in an uproar but not because they were looking for the upstarts who've invaded their sanctuary, they were upset over the factory crumpling down to rubble. The building has been there for some time, and the structure was considered sturdy. Why now would it choose to fall apart?

Everyone, man, woman, child who were indoors or outdoors all stood by watching the spectacle with disbelief; and panicked cries scattered from their mouths when something sprang out from the ruins. It was the Kazekage! He was standing on a geyser of sand high above their heads, but he wasn't alone. Something else had come from the destroyed building, something long and gray. It looked like a centipede or millipede, but whatever it was it was running on the sand after the young man at top speed and when it reached the peak of the gushing sand it bashed into the Kazekage knocking him from his perch.

Gaara's fall wasn't a long trip as a clump of sand caught him before he was anywhere near the ground. It remained to hover above the onlookers while Gaara's confused expression addressed what just hit him. _'Kerai?'_ He wondered as he watched the bug wriggle and snake through the air before it came his way.

Large, but paper thin sand shuriken flew from Gaara's hand aimed at the mutated elective; his thick skin felt the sting but it remained on the attack and swung its tail at the insect-sized village leader. The hovering sand moved and dodged but the wild flails were too erratic for him to get out of the way every time and the Sand-nin was knocked from his perch in the sky only to be caught again from another clump of automatic sand.

Gaara sneered at Kerai's ugly face as it swayed in the distance, protected by its tail. He was going to have to do this carefully. He can't tell if the man has mutated into a summon or if he's simply mutated into a new breed of monster. Did it matter either or? Not exactly. But this new Kerai might have some interesting tricks up his sleeves from all the solvent in his system.

"Kazekage-sama..." One of Gaara's guards watched from the distance of Sawada's house. "We should help him-"

Cutting the man off Neji said. "No. You get Lee and the others out of here, Tenten and I will help Gaara."

The two had a moments staredown, but the guard relented and continued to exit over the wall with Tetsu and his brother.

"Neji, does that thing have any weak points?" Tenten asked removing a scroll from her weapons pouch. She followed behind Neji in his approach towards the large insect.

"The tenth column on his body looks to be more erratic than the rest of the chakra paneling," he leaped over a cement fence then picked up speed. "It must be where his body hasn't finished changing."

"The Tenth panel," Tenten noted, then began counting as the large bug grew closer to her. "Okay."

Jumping into the air, she unwrapped a scroll. Spinning in circles the long spools of paper and fabric spun around her body like a rhythmic dance. But unlike normal dancing where beauty emerges this dance produced blunt objects and sharp weaponry in a hail over the summon.

Kerai cried out when sharp kunai and senbon slammed into his new body, along with the blunt weapons pushing the sharper ones in whenever one came into contact with it. He looked to where the attack had come from then swung his tail over that way to push them back.

Gaara watched his back-up as they gave it their best to damage Kerai. He noticed their aim wasn't exactly aimless. Looking to where the two were throwing their attacks, he then created a morning star with his sand growing it bigger and bigger from the sand created by the crumpled building. And while Neji worked on closing the chakra channels, Gaara spun the mace around and around by a chain made of sand. It gained length with each whirl around his head until it was long enough to slam into Kerai's face knocking him out of focus and pinning his head to the ground with the mace weighing on him.

Tenten worked to clear the ogling villagers out of the way; she'd heard someone crying out when her spray of weapons landed with some having gone past their mark. It was a young woman who looked like she was aiming at Gaara, planning to help the man she recognized within the monster.

"None of you can be here!" she shouted as she ushered them away.

"He gave us hope! You don't understand what Kerai means to us!" She fought Tenten when the young woman put her hands on her.

"He's sick! He hurt my friend,"

"That's his problem!" The red haired woman inhaled a breath then shot a fireball at the Leaf-nin.

"Aah!" Tenten smacked at her burning clothing as she scrambled back. But she wasn't gonna back off if this woman wanted a fight she'd get one.

Kerai still thrashed about hoping to do as much damage as he could while trying to free himself. Trees came up through the ground like a porcupine raising its quills and the thick lumber removed the heavy mace from Kerai's head.

"Gaara, aim for the tenth bulge! That's where he's most vulnerable!" Neji shouted up to the Kazekage. "I'll take the front!"

"No! I need you out of the way!" Gaara called down to his ally.

Neji looked for a place that was quickly out of the way, with Kerai being so large it was hard to find a place to take cover from whatever it was Gaara had planned to do. Seeing movement ahead of him, he sees Tenten going after a red haired woman hopped up on fire power.

Kerai let out a roar and in a strategic maneuver he used his hundreds of legs as spikes and he spun himself like a tornado around and around aiming for Gaara. The Sand-nin had a plan of his own. All the sand he'd been using against the man had burrowed into the wounds Tenten and Neji made, and with his focus honed he used his sand in the same way as Kerai. The tornado coated the man in an imprisonment of sand, and it took great concentration to lift the massive bug but Gaara got him up in the air.

"Sabaku Kyu!" Squeezing his hands shut he crushed the millipede within the enclosure then he began to shrink it.

His means of floating lowered him to the ground; it took a lot of chakra to work with that much sand and he didn't need to expend anymore on hovering. Neji, who hadn't gotten out of the way, walked over to Gaara when he landed.

"Can you break the shell?"

"Just a little more..." Replied the Kazekage. He continued shrinking the ball of sand using Kerai's steal-like body against him in order to break his barrier. "Something's wrong..."

"What?"

Neji got his answer when a purple mist drifted from the sand. Sand and Leaf watched as the sand lowered to the ground spreading out to reveal what was causing the mist. It happened in the blink of an eye, A hard slimy man was standing there then he wasn't. The Leaf-nin was going to say something when Gaara went sailing past him.

Neji looked around as Kerai zipped about him taking cheap shots at Gaara and himself. His Byakugan darted this way and that trying to get a land on his position but he was too fast. Whirlwinds of sand burst here and there trying to stop Kerai but they weren't quick enough and the two suffered blow after blow.

"What's the matter Kazekage?" Kerai stopped moving long enough to gloat. "You run out of clever things to say?" He approached the child, leering with a smug look on his face over the failing sand barrier. "You're not so brave when I can move, are you?"

Neji moved in behind Kerai just to be knocked away by a bolt of electricity. How're they going to get close to him this way? Removing two kunai from his weapons pouch he hurled them at Kerai's back and when he'd moved to dodge it, Gaara made his move slinging sand tentacles at the elective catching him around the ankle where he slung him violently into a wall. If only that were enough to stop him or, at least, slow him down.

"Neji," Gaara called him to action; maybe he could have moved in on him.

But Kerai was too fast. If only they had someone who could match him...

The elective began weaving signs for something big. It would have to be because both teens were sure they'd never seen the weaving before, but as the last sign was about to be cast Kerai went flying.

"Lee!" Gaara and Neji said in unison, wearing the same baffled expression.

Last he'd seen of his teammate he was on his way to safety anywhere but here. So how? "What are you doing here? You should be heading to Konoha." Neji declared standing beside his friend who's posing as a crane.

"I couldn't let you face him alone, and you need my help..." Lee looked beside him and gave both Neji and Gaara a thumbs up and a smile. "I'm gonna slow him down, you just get ready to finish him once he's immobile."

Gaara wanted to knock Lee out and have him sent home through an expressway, but he knew there was no stopping the green beast once his mind was made up. You'd have a better chance of getting a five-year-old to lift a statue right up over their head on their own strength.

"For harming Miyamoto and his brother Tetsu, I will not go easy on you." Lee decreed. "For force feeding me something that I was only curious about I will not go easy on you. And for making the people of this village suffer in your abuse, I will not go easy on you. And you should also know this,"

Kerai's cold golden eyes stared at the bob-cut teen with malice.

"I will not use your ill-gotten tricks to destroy you, I'll beat you as I am." His back straight, forearm poised like a blade before him, Lee smiled with delighted determination to brandish his shinobi way.

"You think you can stop me? I control all the elements including kekkei genkai... Come on, show me what you've got."

Lee's smile widened as he lowered the legwarmers about his calfs, where he then removed the weights hidden beneath them. "I don't think I have to go this far, but why not show you true speed and agility that's been worked for." The weights banged into the cement with damaging pounds.

It was like something out of a horror film when the pair were reduced to nothing but a blur. Lee used his senpu big and small, his taijutsu attacks landed every hit; Kerai used a few blasts of water then mud, but they missed each time. He did, however, punch Lee in the jaw, but it didn't stop the green tornado. His nimble legs bashed the elective on the head dropping him to the cold hard cement where he had little time to recuperate because Lee's bandages wrapped around him like being hugged by a group of people. He was then jerked roughly into the air by the leaping shinobi where he was then pressed to his body before a nauseating spin began.

He wasn't really going to do it? Was he? The question couldn't be considered answered when after a dizzying blind spin he got his lights put out by his head slamming into cement. He created such a dent that he tasted dirt in his mouth, smelled it up his nose before he blacked out.

It was touch and go for the three victims of the Kekkei Genkai chakra stones. Tetsu was too far gone, even for the best medical ninjas and four days after his rescue he passed away. Chouji Sawada had a little more luck. His body had degraded a lot, but he was able to withstand the medical procedures due to Miyamoto helping the man after he'd initially been burned by the stones. He would need a personal nurse to help him during the long months it would take to become a normal person again, but he would survive.

Lee hadn't had the stone in his system long enough for him to be in any real danger that was irreversible. His recovery time would be considerably less than Sawada's, but he still needed time in the hospital. Miyamoto agreed to live with Sawada and the live-in nurse. He had the option of adoption in Konoha or Suna, or he could simply return to Rain with Sawada once he was better.

And a month later Miyamoto Kino was adopted by a loving family in the hidden leaf village.

Kerai was supposed to serve time for his crimes on the people of Rain, but when his cell was checked the next day after his arrest, the police found nothing but a mess from a small explosion of the unstable contents of the liquid that was used to make a solution that created the stones. They didn't know if that were a better answer to their problem or if it were a shame the man was released without systematic punishment.

Rock Lee recovered with no side effects, but psychologically he was scarred. He couldn't get past the fact that he'd wanted the stones. That a part of him had really thought he'd finally get his wish, just to find out it was all a lie. Sort of... Because sometimes, at night... when he's laying in bed, he'll whisper 'Henge'... And turn into the person he held dearest... Himself.

The End.

x x x

Commentary: I seriously want to thank all of you for reading this. I'm not used to doing short stories like this, but this was fun and your reading it showed me I'm not too bad at it haha.

A reader asked if I could do a sequel to Boy in the Closet, and I think if it's short then it's doable. But that won't be until the summer I think, or late spring.


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